Vessel
by EchoSerenade
Summary: Coven: Madi had finally found a place that she belonged. It may be a little dysfunctional and it wasn't exactly a happy place, but he was there and that was all that mattered. Now, all she had to do was make sure that she didn't lose him. Kyle/OC (Third in my AHS series)
1. Chapter 1

**Warning** **: There will be triggering content. Read at your own discretion.**

 **Disclaimer** **: I do not own anything from American Horror Story.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

I stared curiously up at the man standing in front of me. He had gentle smile and a warm voice. I didn't really care what he was saying, but I liked him.

"Alright, Mr. Spencer. The paperwork looks good and she's all packed."

I reached over for the small teddy knapsack and pulled it around my shoulders.

Mr. Spencer slowly led me over to his old silver sedan and made sure I was buckled up before getting into the driver's seat. "You'll love it there," he said. "I have a son just two years older than you." His sounded excited as he described his biological child. I wondered if any of them were going to like me. "I've always wanted a daughter, but Alicia didn't want to go through the labour, again. She also thought we might not be able to support another child." He didn't make me feel any better. "I'm sure we can. Things at work are looking a lot better."

If Alicia was anything like the caretakers, I'd rather stay at the orphanage where my friends were. I was really going to miss Maisie and Johnny and Alex and Kristy. I also missed my pillow. Ms. Cole wouldn't let me keep it.

Mr. Spencer glanced at the rear mirror. "Hey, it'll be okay. How about some music?"

I hugged my teddy knapsack close. There wasn't much in there. I had a pen and notebook, a used pack of tissue, and an apple I sneaked out of the kitchen. Ms. Cole would kill me if she ever found out.

"Here we are." He backed the car towards a small, beaten-down house.

The door opened and I clutched nervously to the hem of his jacket. "Honey, I'm home!"

A tired middle-aged woman walked out with a towel in her hands. "Where have you been? I've been calling you all day," she snapped.

He grinned sheepishly at her. "Sorry, but I had a perfectly good reason."

Still not noticing me, she threw the towel on to the table and crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"Look."

Horror filled me as he stepped aside and pushed me forward to face the woman who was already angry. Her eyes narrowed and I could see the red rising from her neck. "Who the Hell is she?!"

Immediately, I took several steps back and hid behind his much larger form, again. She was scary.

As they continued, I clenched my eyes shut and went into my happy place where I was being protected by two arms wrapped around me. Would my own mother have done that? Or was I abandoned because she never wanted me?

"Madison," Mr. Spencer knelt in front of me despite the screaming and yelling of his wife. "Why don't you go upstairs. Kyle is in his room beside the bathroom and yours is beside his."

With a teary nod, I raced up the steps.

The hall seemed impossibly long and dark as I pitter-pattered along.

I had already forgotten which room was mine because of the haste, but I spotted an open door and peeked in.

A curly-haired boy looked up from his toys to stare at me with wide, chocolate eyes. "Who are you?" He tilted his head at me and blinked.

I instinctively wanted to turn and run off again, but when he smiled, I slowly stepped in. "M-Madison…"

"I'm Kyle," he replied, his grin widening. "Do you want to play?"

I remembered the first time I was invited to play and it had gone horribly. I wasn't sure if it was worth it, again. Was there a chance that someone could be my friend? I kind of missed Kristy, but she was always mean and pulled my hair. They laughed and I tried to join in, but I never understood why they were laughing.

"Come on, I'll let you play the red one. He's my favourite."

I looked down before nodding. He seemed really nice.

"Thank you." I finally smiled back at him. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.

We played with the little figurines for what seemed like hours before I built up the courage to show him what I did for fun at the orphanage. It was something I had been afraid to show anyone since the poor reception I had received. During the lonely times, however, I liked to keep it with me.

Kyle stared eagerly at the motionless figurines on the carpeted floor.

"Watch," I whispered, waving my hand over the toys.

They twitched before each of them began to stand on their own. The red one gave a little stretch and jumped, followed by the rest.

I gave Kyle a side glance, waiting nervously for his reaction. There was nothing but the widening of his eyes at first. Then, his lips quirked up and he quickly turned his head towards me.

"That's so cool!" he exclaimed. "How are you doing that? Can you teach me?"

It wasn't something I could teach and it wasn't anything I could explain. He accepted my words as they were and I happily obliged to moving them around for him.

I never thought that there could be anyone who could understand me.

…

Mr. Spencer sighed after Alicia finally exhausted herself. She had turned off the stove and refused to finish cooking, so he had gone out for some takeout.

This wasn't how he had wanted to introduce Madison to her new family. He knew that it may be a while for everyone to get used to the new situation, but he never expected the explosion that had gone off. He wished that she could only understand how much he wanted a daughter and he made sure to visit as many orphanages as he could to scout out the one he thought she'd like best.

That didn't turn out as well as he had hoped.

"Madison, I – " He opened the door to apologise to her, but found that she was not in her room. IN fact, it was completely untouched.

Where was she? He felt anxiety spike, again. What if she had ran away after seeing what happened? Guilt grabbed at him. He rushed into Kyle's room, hoping that his son had seen her.

When his eyes set up on the sight in front of him, however, he saw something that melted his heart. His son, who was typically a nightmare trying to get him to bed, was tucked haphazardly beneath his covers with their newest addition cuddled against him.

He tiptoed over to fix the blanket and noted how they were holding hands. It was cute. It was _very_ cute.

He knew how lonely his son had been growing up. There weren't a lot of children in the neighbourhood and his school mates were… intimidated by Alicia, so they never came over.

"Sleep well," he whispered, laying kissed on both of their foreheads.

…

I ran after Kyle who was cackling madly. "Give him back!" I yelled, watching as he ran circles around me. "Give Tate back!"

"Tate is such a dumb name!" He stuck out his tongue at me.

"It is _not_!" I crossed my arms and stomped my feet.

Tate was the name I had given my toy bird. Mr. Spencer had gotten it for me from the thrift store. Even though there were a couple of holes and some of the stuffing was coming out, I loved him anyway. He was the first gift Mr. Spencer had given me. Mr. Spencer was really nice, but Mrs. Spencer wasn't. She never looked or spoke to me. It made me a little sad, but I was okay with it.

Mr. Spencer and Kyle were enough. I liked spending time with them, except when Kyle called me names and took Tate away.

"Madi?" Kyle had stopped running when I refused to acknowledge him. "Madi, I'm sorry." He nudged me with Tate. "Tate is not a stupid name."

When I turned my head away with a pout, he made a whining noise and tried to make me look at him. He jumped around and made silly faces, but I was stubborn.

" _Madiiii_!" Then, he made a silly voice. "Kyle is feeling sad that Madi wasn't look at him! Tate says Madi should talk to Kyle, again."

I couldn't stop my lips from quirking up. "Stop it, Kyle!" I giggled.

Kyle laughed with me before tackling me to the grassy lawn. "Tate likes me more, now!"

"Nooo, mine!" I grabbed for the phoenix and Kyle allowed me to take him back, this time.

Kyle rolled over, wiggling his arms and legs. "I hate school," he moaned. "I don't like it there."

I rolled over to look at him. "Why? I like it. I like making friends."

He huffed. "But the teachers are so boring‼"

"I like Mrs. Brown. She's nice and she likes Tate, too. She doesn't think it's a stupid name."

He stuck his bottom lip out. "I said, I was sorry!"

I hugged Tate close to me. "Good. You shouldn't hurt Tate's feelings."

He shuffled closer and wrapped his short arms around me. "Sorry, Madi. Sorry, Tate."

As promised, Kyle began to treat Tate with the respect the phoenix deserved. Instead of a duo, we became a trio. I took Tate wherever I went.

"Look! It's the little girl and her stupid bird!"

I clutched Tate closer to me as I stared at Brian with wide eyes. He was a fifth grade who liked to pick on me. I managed to get away most of the time, but when he did catch me, it was never pleasant.

"Come here, runt!" he shouted as he ran after me. It was strange. Like me, he was usually alone. Maybe he was lonely and liked playing tag, but he didn't express that very well. I didn't usually stick around long enough to figure out and he never bothered to explain himself.

I rounded the corner and bumped into something that shouldn't have been there.

"Ow…" I rubbed my nose and looked up at the figure looming over me. "S-sorry…"

Suddenly, I was picked up by the collar of my shirt and I kicked my feet to try to get away. "Let me go!" I shouted. Several of my classmates turned their heads, but I knew that they weren't going to do anything. They never did.

"The fuck…" the bigger boy swore. "You couldn't catch a stupid, little rabbit like this?"

Brian looked away, panting slightly. "I'll take care of it, Dan!"

"Oof!" I was dropped.

"Useless!" Dan spat. "This is why ma and pa will never love you!"

Brian narrowed his eyes, but didn't say a word. There was a dark flush spreading across his face.

"Let me show you how it's done."

Tate was ripped out of my hands and I felt a sharp pain to the side. I cried out in pain, but my thoughts went to Tate. He was fragile. I needed to protect him.

Another kick made me cry. "Stop!" I screamed, clenching my eyes shut and waited for the next hit, but nothing came. I peeked out with one eyes.

Big Dan looked silly as he seemed to be frozen in place. Only his eyes were still moving and he looked frightened.

"What is going on here?"

I turned to see Mrs. Brown with her hands on her waist. "Step away from the poor girl and give her back her stuffed animal!" she ordered.

Abruptly, Dan dropped Tate and I quickly snatched him back up as the older kid took several steps away. "She's a freak!" He pointed at me. "Dunno what shit she just did! Freaky shit!"

" _Language!_ " Mrs. Brown scolded. "Stay where you are! Don't think your parents won't hear about it!"

I looked at her with wide, watery eyes as she knelt in front of me. "Are you alright?" She helped me sit up and saw the grimace of pain.

"What's going on?" Kyle suddenly appeared, jogging towards us. "Madi?"

"K-Kyle!" I cried, throwing arms in his direction and he pulled me into a hug.

Mrs. Brown stood up. "Kyle, please take your sister to the nurse's office. These two will be coming with me to see the principal." She glared at the two boys who still seemed to be shaken by what happened.

Kyle nodded and helped me hobble down the hall. "What happened? Here, let me hold Tate."

I whimpered, hugging Tate to my chest.

"I promise he'll be safe."

"Is he okay?" I extended him to my brother who gave it a quick look over.

"Yeah." Kyle nodded. "As good as he could be." He knocked on the door and it swung open after a minute.

Nurse Renée was nice. She always gave me a lolli whenever I came in.

"Oh, dear!" she gasped. "Not, again! They really need to kick those hooligans out! Children like them shouldn't be hurting others like this. Here, sit down."

Kyle slowly lowered me on to the plushy couch. "This happened before?"

I shrugged. "This is the first time I've seen Big Dan," I told him. "Brian isn't as bad. He likes to chase me around, pull my hair, and call me names, but that's okay."

"No, it's _not_ okay!" he shouted. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

My eyes looked down at the dusty tiles. "I didn't want _you_ to think I'm silly and stupid." My lips began to tremble and I wondered what he must've thought of me, now.

"Madi…" Two arms wrapped around me and I cried into his shirt, soaking into the soft cotton. "I'll protect you. I promise. I'll always protect you."

And he did. He included me into his small group of friends and I hadn't seen Brian nor Dan since. I knew they must've had something to do with it and I was happy.

This was the first time someone was there to protect me. I didn't have to watch my back all the time, now. Peter and Carl were nice, but I also liked just spending time with my brother. Sometimes, they'd be talking about things that I didn't understand. It was frustrating and I wanted to get Kyle's attention, again, but I didn't want to make them angry.

"Kyle, I'm going to the washroom," I whispered, giving his shift a small tug.

He laughed at something Carl said as he nodded absentmindedly at me. I dusted off my pants and walked over to the washroom, which was only around the corner.

Nothing should've happened.

Or maybe I had become too complacent.

"Thought they could always protect you?"

My eyes widened and I quickly ran into the washroom as if being behind a door with a pink person could keep him out.

Dan had quickly burst through after me and I tried to lock myself in a stall. The metal piece had always been broken, but if done slowly and carefully, it'd serve its purpose. Unfortunately, in my panicked state, the lock fell apart in my hands.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted.

He snarled and lunged at me.

With a shrill cry, I jumped on to the toilet and tried to climb out of the stall, but a hand caught my ankle and I tumbled down, groaning in pain as my head met the dirty, porcelain seat.

"I'll show where a freak like you will end up when you mess with me!" His fist was as painful as I remembered. I could already feel the bump throbbing in time with my racing heart. "Freak! Not going to use your freaky powers on me, again?"

I curled up as tightly as I could, using my arms to protect my head. I didn't know what he was talking about and at the moment, I really didn't care. "Kyle…"

…

He frowned as he suddenly looked around.

"Hey, where did your sister go?" Peter asked, looking at the spot that was previously occupied by the tiny brunette girl.

Kyle blinked and realised that she was indeed missing. Where had she gone? He frowned, turning his head left and right to see if he could spot her nearby.

Nothing.

It wasn't like her to just wander off.

As he wracked his mind for an explanation, he could vaguely remember her saying that she was going to the washroom. How long ago had that been?

"I'll be right back, guys." He received a murmur of acknowledgment before making his way to the girl's washroom.

Kyle paced in front of the door several times before knocking. "Madi! Are you still in there?"

He didn't hear a reply, but he _did_ receive several odd looks, so he stepped back and began to pace, again.

When he saw another girl heading towards the washroom, he quickly intercepted her. "Hey, do you mind checking to see if my little sister is there? She has brown hair and holds a red bird stuffy."

The girl didn't seem too compliant and muttered an incoherent reply as she pushed the door open.

He only managed to catch a glimpse of the cracked, burnt orange tiles before the door slammed firmly closed in front of his face.

For a moment, he wondered if she would really help him. His worries, however, changed as a muffled scream emitted from the room.

Without another thought, he pushed his way in and saw the girl staring into one of the stalls – there sure were a lot of them.

He quickly made his way over and felt his heart drop.

Her hair was splayed out around her, matted and deeply darkened by the red of her blood that seemed to be flowering from her head. Her eyes were closed. He couldn't tell if she was breathing or not.

" _MADI!"_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

 **Happy** (belated) **Hallowe'en!**

I really hadn't planned to post this so quickly after finishing _Vanish_ _,_ but it was Hallowe'en. Although I really wanted to actually post on the 31st, I didn't get home until quite late and had to type this up.

In the end, I did decide to make them into foster siblings. I really like the idea of keeping the relationship forbidden. I don't know how that will work out for the rest of the seasons because I haven't seen the next two, yet, but I'll make do.

I'm very sorry that I'm already torturing poor Madi, but what can you do? I have quite a hard time writing proper happy scenes and endings.

For Mr. Spencer, I couldn't find his name, but I thought calling him just that would be okay. If anyone can find his first name, I will gladly use it.

I hope that all of you enjoyed the first chapter! If you did, leave a review? It would really make my day!


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

I groaned as I tried to roll over in bed, but there were a tangle of strings preventing me from doing so. When I opened my eyes, I quickly clenched them shut, again. It was so bright. It hurt my eyes and my head felt as if a toy soldier was hitting it with a wooden hammer. It had to be Kyle's fault.

"… Madi…?"

Again, I opened my eyes, and this time, I managed to keep them open long enough to look around me. "Kyle?" My voice cracked.

Kyle looked terrible. His eyes were rimmed with red and it looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"W-what… Where am I?"

He opened his mouth to explain, but Mr. Spencer stepped up instead. "Madison, you were attacked by Dan Miller," he told me as I watched the pulsing vein on the left side of his forehead. "I'm going to make sure he will never step foot in that school or be near you ever again."

This was the first time I had seen him so angry. Mr. Spencer was always calm, sometimes sad, but never angry like this. He was shaking and I could see the flush of red rising from his neck.

"What happened?" Why was everyone behaving so oddly? I didn't like seeing them so upset and where was I? Why weren't they answering me?! "Kyle?" I was scared at all the looks I was getting.

My lips trembled and I could feel tears blurring my vision.

Kyle jumped to his feet and crawled on to the bed to hold me, ignoring the protests from Mr. Spencer.

"Kyle, be careful!" Mr. Spencer scolded his son.

"What's going on?" I asked, again, crying as I wiggled closer to him. The wires were really annoying.

"Dan. It was Dan! I sure that he did it!" Kyle exclaimed. "I… I saw you in the bathroom and I was so scared and there was so much blood and I thought you died!" Tears streamed down his pale face and I felt bad for making him cry, but his crying was also making me cry harder.

Not long after, the doctor came in to talk to Mr. Spencer. They spoke in a hushed tone, but I didn't care. Kyle had finally stopped crying and we were whispering amongst ourselves. Despite what happened and all the aches and pains, I was happy that Kyle was here and –

"Where's Tate?!"

Everyone stared at me in shock before Mr. Spencer quickly reached over and tucked Tate beneath the blanket beside me.

I quickly snatched him up and placed him between Kyle and I. He had accumulated a few more stains and scars, but that was okay. I would love Tate forever and ever and ever and ever.

"If you like, you may take her home today. Just be sure to keep her monitored. Head injuries are always treated seriously. If she's ever unresponsive, call an ambulance immediately," the doctor instructed.

"Does it hurt?" Kyle whispered.

"Sometimes," I replied, gingerly touching my head bandage. "I don't remember anything. It's so weird."

Kyle tried his best to explain what happened, but his story was confusing. It sounded as if he wasn't sure either.

In the end, we both gave up and I began to doze off to Kyle's even breathing.

"Alicia, I am not discussing this with you, right now. I'm going to take them to their beds and we will talk later," Mr. Spencer tiredly stated.

"No!" she shrieked. "I've had enough! She's brought us nothing but trouble. Do you know how much that hospital visit cost us?! We're already poor as fuck! You have such a shit job that doesn't pay well enough to even support the _three of us!_ This is why I didn't want another child! This is why I don't want her in my house, anymore!"

"Alicia. We are _not_ discussing this now." He was gritting his teeth.

Shortly, I was placed on the soft mattress and I could hear Kyle suggesting that he'd stay with me before the bed sunk down beside me.

"I'm sorry, Madi." I could hear the tremble in his voice.

I slowly turned, wrapping my arms around him. "S'okay. Big girl," I mumbled.

He hugged me back. "You're a midget."

Things didn't really get any better from there. Home was as dysfunctional as ever. Alicia blamed me for bringing every misfortune to her family. If she didn't hate me before, she definitely hated me, now.

It went from passive aggressive to verbal assaults. If Mr. Spencer was around, he'd defend me and she'd back off long enough to catch me alone at another time.

This meant that I liked staying at school as long as possible before Kyle and I went home together. I'd watch him play ball with his friends and even though it was boring most of the time, at least Alicia wasn't there.

"You know, your sister's really cute," I heard as I was getting my lunch tray. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Kyle with a new friend: Caleb. While his friend circle kept getting larger with every year, my own consisted of Chloe. I knew that his friends would always be kind to me, but they never treated me as if I was truly part of the group, just a tagalong.

"Piss off, Caleb," Kyle retorted. "She's my sister!"

"Yeah, and she's hot."

They exchanged more words in a hushed argument.

After classes, Caleb approached me by the entrance as I was waiting for Kyle.

"Madison, right?" He grinned.

I slowly nodded back.

"I'm Caleb. Do you wanna go for ice cream?"

My eyes widened. At thirteen, I have heard of girls having boyfriends who would take them on dates. They also mentioned _kissing_ and… other things. "I…" Although Caleb was good looking, I didn't really want to kiss him and I still had to wait for Kyle or he'd be worried. "I can't. Kyle is – "

"Don't worry. I told him and he was fine with it as long as I brought you home after."

I didn't like what I heard. Kyle wouldn't really say that, would he? Did he want me to go with Caleb because he was tired of having me around all the time? Maybe I shouldn't have been so clingy…

The thought hurt a lot more than I expected. I didn't want to be a bother to him, but I also didn't want to stop spending time with him. "Caleb, I really don't…"

"Madi!" I turned to see Kyle jogging towards me. "Madi, ready to go home?"

I took several steps towards him with a relieved look on my face. When I glanced back to where Caleb had been, he was already gone. "Kyle, he said you told him it was okay that he takes me out for ice cream?" I asked him as we were walking home.

"Who?" he asked in confusion.

"Caleb."

He stopped in his tracks, a look of fury on his face. "He said that?!"

I nodded.

"Don't listen to him. He's an asshole." He reached over and squeezed me hand. "I'll never let you go out with him."

A smile spread across my face.

…

"I'm bored, Madi." Kyle was bouncing a soft rubber ball on his wall. He had been whining every few minutes.

I was reading a book, sitting beside him, trying my best to finish the story.

"Show me that magic trick, again."

Without looking up from the words, I replied, "You know they don't like it when I do that."

"Come on. They don't have to know." He threw the ball aside and put his chin on my shoulder, staring at me with a mischievous grin on his face.

I deftly placed my old bookmark between the pages and sighed. "Fine." I looked at a random pillow laying haphazardly on the floor. Narrowing my eyes, I watched as the fluffy object twitched before flying at full speed, hitting Kyle in the face.

He sputtered and jolted away. "Madi!" he exclaimed in shock. "That's not what I meant!"

This time, I grinned at him. "You never specified."

He huffed. "Show me something else. Something that's _not_ going to hit me!"

I began to lift all his trinkets off of their resting positions. They hovered for a moment before forming a happy face in the air. Beside the face, his lava lamp wiggled around to a tune on the radio.

Kyle jumped off the bed and danced around with his baseball bat. He looked absolutely ridiculous for there was no purchase at all.

"You're such a dork," I laughed.

Suddenly, the door opened and everything fell chaotically on the floor. Alicia had her lips pursed and fury in her eyes. "Stop that racket!" She was glaring right at me. "And get out of Kyle's room. I don't need you corrupting my son!"

"Mom – "

" _GET OUT!_ "

I scrambled off the bed and scurried to my room. If she wasn't around, I would've loved being here. I had almost everything I ever wanted in this household, except for a caring mother. Because I've never had a mother figure, it wasn't something I'd miss. I didn't even need her to be doting and coddling. I just wanted to get along with her enough to feel as if I wasn't walking on egg shells all the time.

I wished that I could say things got better as the years went, but I'd be lying. There was no use trying to change her opinion of me, so Kyle and I spent most of our days at the park. It usually meant getting yelled at during supper, but I learned to ignore her as best as I could. Mr. Spencer's presence also helped her filter her words.

One night, however, things completely fell apart. Mr. Spencer had stayed out later than usual, trying to work for the Christmas bonus. Alicia had been very vocal about a pair of earrings she had seen at the jeweller's and I knew Mr. Spencer wanted to get it for her.

The roads were paved with black ice and all we got from him was a quick call that he was finally coming home. Kyle and I, dressed in green and maroon sweaters waited anxiously for him. We waited and waited and waited. And then, the phone rang again, but it wasn't him. It was someone we didn't know.

The day before Christmas Eve, I saw my first dead body. Mr. Spencer had gotten into a car accident. An incoming vehicle slipped and over steered into oncoming traffic. The entire driver side of Mr. Spencer's silver sedan had caved in. He never had a chance.

As Kyle cried, I tried my best to keep it together, but Alicia's yelling wasn't helping. From the tears, I knew she was devastated, but her sharp words towards her late husband's body were like daggers through me. " _You left me with a worthless girl and no means to support myself!_ "

I bit my lips until I could taste copper. It was all I could do to keep from breaking down.

When we finally returned home, Kyle and I immediately went to his room to hide. We didn't say anything because there wasn't anything to be said. The event had completely drained us. All we wanted was to lay there, basking in each other's comfort because from here on out, we only had each other.

On Christmas Eve, we received another call that Mr. Spencer's Christmas bonus was ready to be picked up. Kyle and I decided to use the money for its intended purpose as a tribute to him. We went out to get the earrings.

"Mom, Merry Christmas," Kyle handed the box with a pink bow to Alicia who looked up from her bottle. She looked as if she had aged several years over night.

She snatched the box and tore it apart, staring at the sparkling diamonds before throwing them back at Kyle in a fit of rage. " _Get out! Fuck off_!" she screamed.

We scurried off in shock. It hurt knowing that she didn't like our gift. It hurt despite being hurt by her so often. I had become stronger against it, but I wasn't infallible.

"Kyle, you're bleeding," I whispered, turning his cheek so that I could see the cut on his face. "Does it hurt?"

He touched the spot with a small wince. 'A little. I'm okay. I'm glad it was me and not you."

"Hold still." I covered the gash and felt the warmth surge from my core, up my body, and down my arm to the area beneath my palm. Moving my hand away, I looked to see that there wasn't even a scar.

He gingerly touched his cheek again before smiling. "Thanks, Madi."

I nodded. "Don't worry."

The new year quickly came and went. Alicia began to change in behaviour. She became more withdrawn and even left me alone most of the time. Kyle, too, suddenly changed as well. He looked nervous and tense whenever his mother was around.

I watched him try to pretend that everything was okay and outwardly, I knew he was very convincing, but at home when he thought I wasn't paying attention, I could see him shifting as far as he could away from Alicia. Sometimes, I'd be able to hear him cry at night. Whenever I asked, he'd manage to avoid the question.

One night, I had walked in on one of his breakdowns. "Kyle, please," I quietly begged. Even he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of it, this time.

He angrily brushed away his tears before sighing. "If I tell you, you're going to hate me."

"You know that's never going to happen," I comforted him. "Tell me, Kyle."

"Mom… Since dad, you know… She's been really weird around me. At first, I thought maybe I reminded her of him and she'd get over it, but then she started… touching me." He clenched his jaw, looking away as if he had been the one to do something wrong.

"Touch… You mean…?" He couldn't possibly mean that she touched him _there_ , could he? She was his mother!

" _There!_ My fuckin' penis!" he exclaimed. "Fuck!"

"Kyle, why on Earth do you think I would hate you for that?! It's not your fault!" It was ridiculous. He had to tell someone!

"Not _that_. I hate what she does to me. I hate it so much that I try to imagine I'm anywhere but there and…" He looked so broken. He resembled a trapped animal who had been abused and neglected. "You… I… I'm sick, Madi," he whispered morosely. "I'm as sick as she is."

I blinked in confusion. "I don't understand."

He looked ready to clamp up, again. "I imagine it's _you_ ," he mumbled, darting his eyes away from me.

Thoughts ran through my mind like a bullet train. Did he just say what I thought he said? It had to have been my imagination. Yes, that _had_ to be –

Suddenly, I felt a pair of soft, warm lips on my own. In shock, my back hit the mattress as he continued to press himself against me.

It wasn't entirely unpleasant. In fact, I quite liked it. I've had boys kiss me before, but it was never like this.

He slowly lifted his head and looked at me with wide, anxious eyes, as if he had done something wrong. Had he? No, it… it didn't exactly _feel_ wrong.

"Sorry, Madi. I – " He quickly tried to move away, but I was quicker.

I just had to know, so I grabbed on to his shirt and pulled him back into another kiss.

He emitted a startled squeak, but leaned in to deepen the contact. His tongue ran across my bottom lip and I allowed him in. Something that felt this good couldn't possibly be bad, right?

As we continued to make out on his bed, I felt a hand run down my side and slip under my oversized shirt. His hand was slightly rough and left a trail of goose bumps up and down my body. "Kyle…" I breathed. My heart was pounding against my chest. I had never gotten this far with anyone. "Kyle, wait… I'm scared."

He immediately stilled against me before rolling over to the side with an arm covering his eyes. His chest was quickly rising and falling.

"I'm sorry," I apologised, hoping that he wasn't angry with me. "I've never done anything like this before and I don't know what to do or what to expect. I mean – "

He enveloped me into his arms and tucked me beneath his chin. "Don't worry. I'm just glad you don't think I'm some kind of freak."

At that, I smiled. "Never. Not when you've accepted me for what I am." With a snap of my fingers, the lights went out and we were comfortable bathed in darkness.

…

Kyle woke up to a faceful of hair and sighed happily as her scent consumed him. He hadn't been completely honest with her. Sure, she was the one he had imagined whenever his mother did things to him, but it wasn't the first time he thought of her as more than a sister. It was as if there was something inherently wrong with him.

Looking down at her sleeping form, he decided to dismiss the thought. Legally, he knew his entire life had become a crime – a sin. His mother shouldn't have been doing things like that to him and he shouldn't have been doing things like that to his sister. It felt wrong when his mother touched him, but it was wonderful when Madi returned his affection. Could this be some hereditary mental illness?

He really had no clue where his train of thought was going and maybe none of it mattered if they managed to keep it all a secret.

"Mm… Kyle…?"

His breath hitched as he saw her eyes flutter open and a smile slowly spread across her lips. "'Morning," he whispered.

She hummed and snuggled closer to him. "So warm," she sighed, happily, before promptly dozing back into a light slumber.

All night, he had been afraid that she would wake up and regret what had occurred between the two of them, but it seemed that his fears were unfounded.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

The background story was really only meant to be one chapter long, but somehow, as I started writing, I couldn't stop. I actually really, really like writing them as children. Sometimes, the restriction of the plot really boxes me in, but I also enjoy writing in those confines.

That being said, I did try to hurry these parts along and… I feel like the romance has come too early into the story, but seeing as this is really the third installment of the series, I'm sure some of you would understand, right? As usual, though, it's not going to go completely smoothly for these two. How it's going to end, however, is still a mystery – even for me.

I think the next chapter, I'll be able to start involving the canon plot. Things will get a little bit messed up and a little bit sad, but at least I've given them a little bit of happiness now, right?

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, Ookamihime Ichimaru** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan** and **DaisyChain** ) for reviewing!

 **TheOneGirlwiththeM** : I do, too! I wonder if I can keep that as a theme for the story – forbidden love.

 **anonymouscsifan** : I'd like to think that most witches have the potential to do most of the seven wonders, but maybe not all at will. I felt sad killing off Mr. Spencer, but I think it had to happen because I saw no other reason why he would leave his children. I first saw the crossover trending on Facebook. I'm not sure how they're going to incorporate the two stories. I just really, REALLY hope Tate's in there… And maybe Kyle too… I mean… Who wouldn't like two Evan Peters characters – who AREN'T going to just going to be written off in one episode.

 **DaisyChain** : I hope you liked this chapter, too! I absolutely love writing about them!

 **Ookamihime Ichimaru** : Updated! Teehee…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review because it'll motivate me to keep writing!


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

He was starting college and I was being left behind. It was almost cruel of him to do this to me. Not only had he made me nearly completely reliant on his very presence, he was leaving me with Alicia who looked ready to kill me as he gave me one last hug before entering the taxi.

The college wasn't too far away, but I knew I wasn't going to see him as often anymore. In fact, weekends were probably going to be the only time he'd be able to get away from school.

"I'll see you, soon," he had whispered. "I love you, Madi."

I couldn't say anything back to him because I knew I was going to end up a sobbing mess. As much as I wanted him to stay with me forever, I knew I had to let him go live his life. At the end of high school, he had worked so hard and even earned himself a scholarship. I knew he was working so hard to accomplish our dream, but still…

"Stay strong for me."

And I tried. I tried my hardest not to let Alicia get to me – no matter how difficult it was.

"Fuckin' brat," she grumbled as I washed the dishes. She was still drinking like the drunk she had become. I wondered when all the alcohol was finally going to kill her. "Of all those bitches out there, the bastard just had to pick a freak. _Freak!_ " she emphasised, throwing her bottle at me. It sailed through the air and shattered against the tiled backwash. Her aim was atrocious.

Now, there was one more thing to clean up. Wonderful…

"Don't think I don't know what you've been doing to my boy!" she continued. "Fuckin' disgrace!"

I knew we hadn't been as discreet as we probably would've been, but for her to be the one to accuse me was laughable. At least Kyle and I were consensual. From how he reacted, I knew how much he hated the way she touched him.

"You're my black star, aren't you? Not a good thing happened since you arrived at my household," she drunkenly rambled on. "The next thing you'll do is kill my Kyle, too."

The porcelain mug in my hand cracked. "Shut up!" I shouted. "I haven't done _anything_ to you and you know it! It's not my fault you're never satisfied with what you have – or _had_. Mr. Spencer did nothing but try to make you happy. DO you know why he was even working that night? To get you those earrings that you've pawned for less than half its value! Do you know why Kyle's not living with us anymore? Because you force yourself on him like an ugly harlot! Stop your pity party and move on! You're already becoming a bitter old hag."

With that, I threw the dishes back into the sink and stormed off. I never thought I could blow up like that, but all the frustration and anger had finally boiled over.

As expected, the days with her after were absolutely horrid, but somehow, I felt as if I had gotten through to her – at least, a little. She began to avoid me and even stopped drinking.

There was no amiable future between us, but I felt that this was a step towards the right direction. Maybe there would actually be a home for Kyle to return to during the weekends.

My heart leapt at the thought that I was finally seeing him, again. It had only been a month, but already, my life was taken over by a dark cloud.

I closed my eyes and held his pillow close to me.

"Madi!"

I was startled awake by a heavy form pouncing me in my sleep. In alarm, I tried to kick the assailant away and was rewarded by a strangled cry of pain.

"You… should've just told me that you didn't want children," he bit out.

My eyes snapped open and I was greeted by his warm, chocolate eyes. " _Kyle_!"

I rolled us over until I was completely on top of him. "I missed you so much."

He wrapped his arms around my waist. "I missed you, too."

"You said you could only make it here in the evening," I mumbled into his shirt, rubbing my face against him as if I was remarking my territory.

"I wanted to surprise you."

No words could ever describe how much I had missed him, nor could they ever describe how deeply my love for him grew from the distance. I could only hope that he felt the same.

I would be lying if I ever said that I wasn't afraid of jealous that a pretty college girl would take him away from me.

"I liked that surprise." I grinned.

He slipped his hand under my shirt, fiddling with the bra clasp. "It's not the same without you. Sleeping doesn't come as easily when you're not there. I think I'm addicted," he murmured into my shoulder.

"I feel the same." My shirt disappeared.

"We have a lot of catching up to do." His joined mine somewhere in the room.

True, we did it for the first time a year ago, but the distance made it feel as if it was the first time, again.

"Shh… shh…" He hushed me when a loud moan left my lips. "Mom will kill us if she hears."

I whimpered, "She knows. She hates it, but she knows." His movement stilled and he stared at me with wide eyes, but I buckled my hips against him. "Talk later!"

He snapped out of his shock and happily immersed himself back into us.

"Kyle!" I buried my face into his pillow. It was the only way I knew how to quiet myself at this point.

The bed creaked and the headboard slammed into the wall as we came together.

"If she didn't hear us before, she definitely heard _that_ ," I mumbled, cuddling against him.

Once we regained our bearings, we peeled ourselves from the bed sheets and made our way downstairs.

Alicia looked to be fuming in the living room, but Kyle tugged me out the door. "Come on, let's go for ice cream."

We went to our usually spot where I contently came back with a chocolate and vanilla swirl waffle cone.

"What do you think of a tattoo?" he suddenly blurted out.

I looked at him, startled. "Are you thinking of getting one?"

He played with my fingers as if deep in thought. "I joined a frat group… kinda thing… and all the new guys wanted to get one together."

"Well, I'm not going to stop you if you want to get one, but think it through first, alright? Tattoos are pretty permanent. I don't want to see a pin up girl on your butt –or anywhere else – when we're together." That would be quite a turn off. Truth be told, if that happened, I hope I never found out about it. Did they make patches to temporarily cover them up?

He flushed. "I would never get anything like that! I was thinking of maybe tattooing your name over my heart." Mine skipped a beat. "But I'm not sure I want anyone to suspect what's going on between us."

I kissed the corner of his lips. "It's up to you. I'll love you no matter what, except for that 'I love MOM' bit on your butt."

" _Hey_!" he exclaimed in indignation. "You know that I'd never get _that_!"

Sniggering, I twirled us around. "I can't wait until I can join you in college. I'm already saving up from that part time job I got because I know that she won't pay for me and I don't expect her to." It was a day I was truly looking forward to. If Kyle and I were both at the same college, there really wouldn't be a reason for me to return to his dreadful place.

We made the most of our weekend together. I could hear him arguing with Alicia every once in a while and he would always return to his room with red-rimmed eyes and a frown marring his face.

"It'll get better," I whispered.

He nodded morosely. "I'll… become a world famous engineer, fix this town up, and we'll be able to find a place together."

At least, that was our dream.

In his second year of college, he invited me to go to the club with him. It was near his school, but he offered to drive me there and back. I couldn't say no. I'd take any chance I'd get to spend time with him and he sounded as excited to introduce me to his new friends.

Sometimes, I'd be listening to his stories and feel pangs of dripping envy that these strangers spent more time with him than me. I knew that this obsessive behaviour was unhealthy and I tried my best to push it under the rug, but it was difficult when I was having a bad day and being with Alicia always put me in a terrible mood.

 _Ding Dong!_

I raced down the stairs in my short black dress and threw the door open before Alicia was even aware that Kyle was here. She was passed out drunk again and wouldn't be missing either of us.

"You look beautiful, Madi," he whispered, slipping a white de-thorned rose behind my ear.

I blushed. "Not looking too bad yourself."

He took my hand and led me into the taxi. We tried to be as discreet as we could in the back seat, but the giggles attracted suspicious glances from the driver. At least he didn't know anything about us for it to be incriminating.

"Come on, the guys are coming by the school bus." He pushed his way into the club where the loud music and flashing lights rendered me temporarily blind and deaf. "Madi?" he shouted, dragging me out of the sudden shock.

I turned to look at him with wide eyes. " _This_ is a club?!" The shows I watched would never prepare me for something like this.

"Hey, babe," a guy suddenly bumped into me with a tipsy grin. He was sweaty and reeked of alcohol.

I took a step closer to Kyle who glared at him. 'Back off. She's not interested."

"Kyle, my man, over here!"

We made our way over to a group of guys. There were already a couple of girls seated on their laps.

"Who did you find?" a blond asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively at us.

We shared a look. "This is Madison, she's my…" Would we be able to get away with it if we lied?

"I'm his sister," I blurted out, making the decision for him. I figured we'd be in more trouble if we were caught in the act.

"Damn. That's one hot sister," the brunet leered. "I'm Archie." He stood up, extending his hand towards me.

Reluctantly, I returned the gesture, but instead of shaking it, he brought it up to his lips and gave it a kiss.

I paled. It was a difficult task suppressing the urge to immediately snatch my hand back and sanitise it. I didn't want to look bad in front of Kyle's friends and I didn't want him to feel awkward about it.

"Come on, let's get drinks." Kyle quickly moved me away from the group in a hurry. He made sure to stay pressed behind me as we navigated through the sweaty crowds.

"I'm not old enough to drink or even really be here," I hissed at him.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled back. There was something in his voice that showed the underlying anger. "Madi, I don't want to be controlling or anything, but… I really don't want to see you hanging out with Archie." He had slipped a hand around my waist. "He may be part of the group and he may be my friend, but I've seen him do some really shady things."

I looked up at him. "Don't worry, Kyle. I can handle it. My creep radar was really pining around him."

He cracked a smile and took our drinks from the counter.

When we returned back to the boys, Archie quickly scooted over and patted the seat beside him. "Come on, Madison. Let's get to know each other."

I looked around for a way out, but found that that was the only seat available. I gingerly sat down before pulling Kyle beside me on the other side. I felt much safer with him around.

"Want a smoke?" He held out his box to me, but I promptly declined. I didn't condone smoking. It left a disgusting stench on the person and I could just imagine that bad breath and rotten teeth that came with it. "Come on. It's really not that bad. Just a puff? If you don't like it, you can give it back."

"No, thank you." I hated how persistent he was. From the corner of my eyes. I noticed Kyle was talking with the blond. The beer in his hand was already half gone.

"Hey, shit! Look at those two!" Archie nudged another friend, staring at the two girls who just walked in.

I took a peek at the two blondes who were making their way towards the table. One looked a tad bit uncertain, while the other had a confident smirk on her face.

When I felt a bump on my leg, I turned to see Archie making his way over to them. Relief washed over me as his attention was captured elsewhere.

From behind me, I felt a gentle brush against the small of my back.

"Come on, let me show you something." Kyle grinned.

I raised an eyebrow at him, but stood up as he told his friends that he was going to step away for a bit. There was a collective murmur of replies.

"You know all those shows and movies we've watched, back then?" His lips caressed my ear. "I've always wanted to give it a try."

Still confused, I followed him into the female washroom. "Should you really be here?" I was glad to find that no one was here. It would be awkward trying to explain his presence.

He shrugged. "Not the first time I've been in the girl's bathroom."

 _That_ startled me. My mind immediately flitted to all the girls he may have led into the toilets.

Seeing the expression on my face, he flushed and stuttered to redeem himself. "It's not like that!" he exclaimed. "You were there too when I was in there!"

"What? I was?" I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

With a shake of his head, he pushed me into a cramped stall. "Never mind. It was a long time ago. You wouldn't remember." His hand slipped under my shirt and quickly snaked up to push the bra out of the way.

I giggled, pecking his lips. "This is your fantasy? Doing it in some dirty club's washroom?" It wasn't as if I was complaining, per se. Any time with him was good time, especially when it was spent naked.

"Not my ultimate fantasy, but I do think about this from time to time." He unzipped his jeans before tugging my dress over my hips and slipped my panties to the side.

"Oh? I want to know what that is." I shot him a teasing smile.

"Shush. We're doing this, right now. We'll talk about that later." A long finger trailed along my glistening slit. "You're already so wet."

"I can't help it," I moaned when he rubbed himself against me before thrusting his hip upward, smoothly sheathing himself. "Kyle…!"

Every thrust threatened to send me over the edge. I was about to come when the bathroom door opened and Kyle covered my mouth, muffling the moan. Even then, however, he didn't let up.

It was a long five minutes as the person did their business beside the stall. "Madi…" he groaned, biting the sensitive spot between my neck and shoulder. "Come for me, Madi."

I shuddered against him and let out a desperate cry of pleasure as my vision exploded in front of me.

"I love you, Madi… I love you," he panted, holding me close.

All I could reply with was a whimper when he slipped out. It was as if a part of me was missing. "Let's stay here a little longer," I mumbled tiredly.

He chuckled, making sure I was presentable before opening the stall door. "The others will wonder where we went."

Grudgingly, we left the washroom. On the way back to the table, we bumped into one of the girls, but my legs were still shaky, so I plopped down on to the leather booth, while they spoke. After what we just did, I knew I didn't have to worry about him straying.

"Damn, you smell like sex," one of the men, Chris(?) said. "Were you and Kyle… Are you two really siblings? You guys don't even look alike."

My face burned red. This was the first time anyone asked me this. "What are you talking about?" I grumbled.

He shot me a knowing grin, but decided not to push the issue. "Hey, it's hot. Who doesn't think of fucking their sister? Anyway, I'll be upstairs in one of the rooms. Hold the table for us, okay?"

I saw no reason not to, so I nodded my head and leaned back to see the Kyle was still talking to the girl. From the corner of my eyes, another familiar figure caught my attention.

"Chloe!" I waved her over with a wide smile. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and she brought her date over. "I haven't seen you in a while." I hugged her.

"It's only been a weekend," she laughed. "Madison, this is Jeremy. Jeremy, Madison."

We conversed through the loud music and lewd comments that were thrown our way every once in a while.

Half an hour later, Kyle had rushed back in a frenzy. "Madi, stay here. I have to take the guys back to the dorms." The panic and fury in his eyes immediately set off alarms for me.

I had never seen him this way.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he insisted. "Stay here. I'll be back later to bring you home."

"Kyle – "

He was gone before I could say anything else. "Wait!" I ran out after a quick word with Chloe. I watched as Kyle pushed all the guys into the school bus. They all seemed to be drunk as they stumbled over themselves. What happened?

Kyle looked around and noticed me staring at him with worry. With a reassuring grin and a wave, he, too, disappeared into the vehicle.

I watched as the bus pulled off the curb, go down half a block before suddenly flipping over. Fire quickly blossomed from the core and consumed the one person I loved most.

" _KYLE!_ "

I ran towards the explosion, only to be held back by two pairs of arms. " _KYLE!"_ I turned to Jeremy with a glare on my face. "Let me go! Let me go! I have to get to him! Kyle!"

"No, you can't," Chloe sobbed.

I didn't know what was happening around me as my world seemed to narrow down to only the burning bus. "No… No…"

"Kyle…"

He promised to come back.

He said he'd take me home…

Where was home, now…?

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Kyle… I really dreaded writing this. If I could, I'd prolong it as long as I could, but the story has to move forward.

I had also planned to go more into detail for some parts, but I've been sick for nearly a week now and my brain is just full of fluff.

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, PorcelainPuppetLady, Ookamihime Ichimaru** , guests ( **SemiraBlake** and **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **SemiraBlake** : No worries about logging in! I'm just so happy that you like this story and decided to drop a review! I really enjoy being any to work with the canon plot, yet put some original aspects to it.

 **anonymouscsifan** : Sorry, I really should've specified there. I'd say she's around 15-16 around that time and Kyle's two years older. This entire season of AHS just makes me want to throw something. There are some aspects that I like and there are some that I really didn't enjoy at all. It's been a pointless bloodbath so far. I really hope that they elaborate more on it and give it more depth. Can't believe that they're just wasting so many characters like that! If you're all caught up, I don't even understand why she was even in this season, right now.

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Exactly what I've been thinking! Yes, Madi is around 15-16. Sorry for all the confusion. I usually try to base it on where they are and what they do instead of outright saying it, but during that part, I really should've done a better job at it.

 **PorcelainPuppetLady** : You'll just have to wait until the end of the story in this one to see!

 **Ookamihime Ichimaru** : I hope you liked this chapter, too!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

Honestly, anyone who is caught up with this season of AHS… _What is going on?!_

I also had a couple of questions before, but… I seemed to have forgotten them…


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The fire rose high into the night sky. The smell was overwhelming. It was all consuming, but I couldn't avert my gaze from it. None of this was real. It couldn't be. I was going to wake up, be yelled at by Alicia, and receive a call from Kyle, asking me about my day.

Yes…

It couldn't be real because life without him was no life at all. If he was gone, all this would, too.

I closed my eyes and opened them, again.

I saw him staring back at me. He was moving away. Someone was taking him away from me. No, what were they doing? They couldn't. Why would they do that? Give him back to me!

"Give him back!" I screamed, running towards him. "Kyle!"

Two arms held me back. "Madison, I'm sorry." Chloe continued to sob. "I'm so sorry."

Many pairs of eyes were turned towards me as I tried my hardest to reach him. They were sympathetic – pitying. I didn't need it.

"Let me go! They're taking him away! I – I have to get to him. H – he… he'll wonder w – where I'm… Where I…" I fell to my knees as I saw the stretcher wheel by with his blank eyes still directed towards me. Where was the rest of him?

"Jeremy, let's get her back home," Chloe croaked.

He murmured a shaky agreement and when they made to move me, I wrenched myself away and adamantly sat down at the curb. "I can't go," I told them. "He's… He's still in there. I have to make sure he's okay." Why couldn't they understand that? He'd wonder where I was if I left. I couldn't do that to him, not when he'd always been there for me.

I didn't know how long I remained there, but by the time most of the paramedics and firemen were gone, it was already morning. The orange sky bathed everything in fire. Would it let me burn with him?

"Come on." Chloe tiredly nudged me. "They're all gone. Let's bring you back home."

But where was that? Where was home without him?

Before I knew it, I was hauled into the backseat of an old car. The leather creaked as I slumped back. The scenery passed with no meaning. It didn't take long for the house to come into view. Alicia was passed out on the couch as always. I didn't need to deal with her or anyone, right now.

"I'll be okay," I mumbled, stumbled up the stairs where I promptly locked the door. My hands shook and I slid down the door, sobbing.

 _Kyle. Kyle. Kyle._

I was going to call him, later. I needed to tell him that Chloe and Jeremy had brought me home. He didn't need to rush back to make sure I was okay.

 _"Mm… Madi," he groaned against my neck. "Any louder and mom's going to find out." Despite this, he gave another deep thrust that made my toes curl and my entire body clench tightly around him. "Shh…"_

 _Panting heavily, I hit his arm. "It's your fault." It was his fault that I was feeling this way all the time. My body burned for him and every thought led to wondering what he was doing._

 _With a breathy laugh, he lifted my legs over his shoulders and fell into a quick rhythm. "Kyle! Kyle!"_

 _My back arched towards him and my world was exploding around me. When I opened my eyes, the flame licked along my skin, leaving a trail of black, flaking skin. "… Kyle…?"_

 _He was nowhere to be seen._

 _As I continued to lay there, naked, the fire crackled around me, vanquishing everything in its way until I was the only one left. There was nothing but me._

 _I blinked and suddenly he was staring back at me. I shouted for him, but heard nothing come out of my own mouth. I reached for him, but he faded further away. I watched my fingers begin to disintegrate in front of me. My hand… my arm… me… I burned with him until nothing was left – not even me._

 _No matter what, I couldn't stop seeing his dead eyes. He consumed me and then, he was gone, and I became nothing_

"It's all your fault!" she screamed. A bottle smashed into the wall beside me. "Ever since you came, I've lost _everything_!" When one of the shards cut my cheek, I couldn't even register the pain. My own tears masked the blood as they mixed and trailed down my face. "I lost my husband and now, I've lost _my Kyle!_ "

Her words cut through me with a knife. The disgust that killed me made my hands tremble. Kyle hated her as much as I did after Mr. Spencer died, but we had different reasons. What she had done to him was inexcusable.

"Get out! _GET OUT!_ You're no longer wanted here! You're a curse. I told him to get rid of you as soon as I saw you! It's all your fault! If you hadn't seduced him to go out with you that night, he would never have died like his foolish father!"

Her nails dug into my neck, cutting off any means of oxygen. "Die! Die! _Die!_ "

I saw on the stained carpet with my back pressed against the wall. My vision had already began to darken, but that didn't matter. She didn't know that she was actually doing me a favour. Soon, I'd be able to join him.

 _Soon…_

 _"Madi!"_

My eyes snapped open when I heard his voice. My sight cleared, but I was still trapped in the nightmare. Alicia was slumped against the other side of the wall, passed out.

Staggering to my feet, I managed to reach my room and threw articles of clothing into my backpack. It was almost reminiscent of my last day at the orphanage, but no one was waiting for me at the door, this time.

I pulled Tate against my chest and looked at our room one last time before leaving the best and the worst of my childhood behind.

There wasn't anywhere in particular that I was heading. I had already come to terms that home no longer exist, but I refused to let him go. My feet, soon, brought me into the lobby of the hospital.

"Miss, may I help you?" a nurse asked when she noticed me standing, dazed by the door. "Miss? Do you require medical attention?"

Finally, I looked at her. "I… Can you tell me where Kyle Spencer is?"

"Certainly!" Her shoes clacked as she walked back to her computer with me following closely behind.

It only took a moment before she realised who she was looking for. "Oh, miss… He's… Didn't they tell you? You really shouldn't see… I mean, did they tell you what happened?"

"Yes. _Please_ ," I whispered.

Her eyes softened with a light sheen of tears. "Alright. He's down in the morgue. I'll take you there, but please, be prepared. He's not exactly – "

"I know," I cut her off. I had seen them bring him out. I knew exactly what to expect.

The trip down there was silent. The nurse didn't know what to say and I was perfectly fine with it. I wanted was to quickly get to him. I had to.

"Here we are… Don't stay here too long," she advised. "The elevator will take you straight back up to the lobby."

I ignored her and began to walk towards the door. Just behind there was Kyle. I was so close to him.

When I pushed the door open, the cool air assaulted me, along with the distinct scent of formaldehyde. I didn't have to look long to find his beautiful, dark blonde curls. "Kyle!" I sobbed, running towards the table. There were several other body parts scattered on the metal table. A couple of them had small tattoos etched on the rigid limbs.

A small, sad smile spread across my lips. I still remembered when he asked me about it. His friends had all gotten them, but he never caved under the peer pressure.

"Hey, Kyle." My voice cracked. I had been lying when I said that I was prepared for it. I really wasn't. Up close, it felt a lot more real. That night had felt more like a horror movie than reality, but there he was, now.

 _Gone._

"I love you, Kyle," I whispered. "I don't know what to do without you. Alicia has already kicked me out of the house. I wish… I really wish you were here, right now. You'd know how to fix all this."

I wondered if Alicia could really be right. Was I bad luck? Nothing good ever last with me.

 _Bang!_

"Ow!"

In shock, I turned abruptly and thrust my hand out. A large trolley flew to the side. Behind had been two girls who were now staring back at me with bewilderment on their faces.

I hadn't meant to use my powers. What was going to happen, now? Could this day really get any worse?

"Y-you… Did you just…?"

"Of course, she did!"

I bit my lips. "Who are you?" I demanded with fake bravado. I didn't want the focus to be on me. "What were you doing – hiding there?" These two... They were there when Kyle… When he was taken from me.

"Hey, don't worry. We can do that, too, I mean… Not that exactly, but – "

"What _she's_ saying is that she can kill people with her – " The other girl stuck her tongue out between two fingers and waggled it around in a lewd gesture to signify a woman's private part.

They did, too…? And _what_ can that other girl do?!

My mind was whirling with thoughts. Things were beginning to come together.

It had been nagging at me for a while. Everything that night was suspicious. The bus was steadily going down the street before an invisible force flipped it off its wheels. There was no way I could've convinced anyone that it wasn't an accident since there were no other moving cars. It couldn't possibly have been a coincidence that they're here, now, too. "Why…?" I whispered. Rage began to burn from within me.

"Why what?" the outspoken one threw back.

"Why did you do it?!" My hands were trembling beside me. "What did he ever do to you?" As I lost control of myself, she was suddenly flung back into the opposite wall. "How _dare_ you?!"

With my other hand, I pulled the trolley back towards her with full intentions to cause her as much agony as she had put me through.

"Wait!" her friend cried out in protest

The metal table halted a breadth's length away from her.

Groaning in pain, she glared back at me. "What did they _do?_ " she sneered. "Those fuckers raped me!"

I froze, recalling how frantic Kyle had been after he went to check on his friends. "But Kyle, he would never – "

"Okay, _fine_. He didn't do anything, but the rest of them had their fuckin' turn. At least they know what a pussy felt like before they died."

"Madison!" the other one scolded.

For a moment, I thought she was talking to me, but the smug girl replied. I shared a name with someone like _her_?

"Well, it's true."

"Look… Can we start over? You're Kyle's sister, right? I'm Zoe and this is Madison. We… We're witches and I think we've found a way to bring back Kyle."

I narrowed my eyes at them. "There isn't even enough of him to be brought back. I'm not going to condemn him into a life of a re-animated head!"

Madison brushed herself off and sauntered over to me. 'See those other bits? We'll just use them. No one else will, anyway." She quickly reorganised the parts so that two arms and two legs were sitting in their rightful place by the torso. "I'll even throw this in."

I looked away in anger when she touched his intimate part. I couldn't tell her that I was the only one allowed to do that.

"See? He looks better already. Let's get this over with quickly before anyone else comes in. I don't feel like spending the night here."

There was still a part of me that wanted nothing to do with it, but what if they really could bring him back? Was I just going to throw away the opportunity to be with him, again?

Warily, I watched as they pulled out a piece of paper and began to read the foreign words.

Nothing happened.

Seeing my frustration, Zoe quickly said, "Wait. Let's try, again. It'll probably help if you did it with us. We can use all the powers we can get."

Like a fool, I took my place beside her, held her hand, and let the words roll off my tongue.

Again, nothing happened.

I shook my head. "That's enough. I'm doing with your sick games. If you think that this is supposed to make me feel better, it d – "

A cough interrupted me.

"K-Kyle…?" Zoe stuttered.

His eyes snapped open. At first, they were blank.

"Kyle?" I whispered.

He looked at me and suddenly, jumped off the table, startling everyone. His foreign limbs were flailing in confusion as he stumbled over his own feet

"Nngh!" My eyes widened as he draped his entire weight on me, rubbing his face against mine.

"K-Kyle, calm down!" I had never seen him like this before. Was it really even him in the body? What if we brought someone else back and it was now wearing his face? I wasn't sure how I would be able to cope with that.

"Let's get him out." Madison threw a white coat over him and we lumbered over to Zoe's car with Kyle completely attached to me like a conjoint twin.

"You guys go ahead." Madison waved her hand once we were all standing outside the car. " _I_ have a date with a proper man, tonight."

"Here, go in," I quietly pulled him into the seat beside me. "You'll be okay."

He whimpered and shook his head.

"Do you remember who you are?"

He didn't even seem to understand me.

"You're Kyle," I told him, willing to hold on to the hope just a little longer. "I'm Madi."

"Muh – Muh…" He stared at me with wide, pitiful eyes. "Muh…"

"It's alright. We'll work on it." If it was really him. We had forever to relearn everything. I was okay with that.

When Zoe began to drive, she tried to strike up a conversation, but neither of us really had anything to contribute. "I could take you back with me to the Coven. I'm not sure if they'll let him in, though."

"I'm not going anywhere without him," I adamantly stated.

"Hi!"

Zoe let out a shriek and nearly crashed the car when another woman suddenly appeared in the seat on the other side of Kyle. How did she get into the moving vehicle?!

"I heard his cry from _miles_ away," she said in a distinct accent. "What did you guys do to the poor boy?"

"You… heard him?" What did she mean?

"Yeah. Take him to my place. I can help him," she offered.

"How? Who are you?" I frowned. No one was taking him away from me if I could help it, especially not this strange woman.

"I'm Misty Day, sweetheart."

With a shared glance from Zoe, we decided to go alone with it, for now. It wasn't as if I really had a destination in mind.

…

It turned out that Misty lived in the middle of the swamp. The small critters make very skin crawl, but I had to keep going. This was for Kyle. She said she could help heal him.

"Alright, here we are." Misty gave a little twirl in her wooden shack. "Not a lot, but I love it."

"Come on, Kyle." I led him to the mattress that Misty was clearing up.

"We'll get this mud on him and it'll get rid of all those ugly scars on the dear boy." She scooped up a handful of dark sludge from a clay jar. "Take that ridiculous thing off." She gestured to the coat.

I was wary to do so. "Here, let me do it." If he had to be naked, I'd rather be the one to put it on him.

Misty looked like she wanted to protest, but instead, she passed the jar over and wiped her hands clean. "Just put it on all the scars."

"Sorry, Kyle," I apologised. "I'll have to take this off."

He garbled a complaint, holding the coat tighter together.

" _Please_." Something on my face or voice must've convinced him because his arms fell limply to the side and I was able to pull the white fabric off him.

The mud was slimy and disgusting and I could hear his suppressed moans of displeasure. "I'm so sorry, Kyle. I wish this didn't have to happen to you."

All those markings and mismatched skin tones… I would've bet anything that when Alicia had him to herself, she tried to take advantage of him and noticed all the changes. Had she attacked him first or had he lashed out at her actions?

"Do you guys want dinner?" Misty snapped me out of my thoughts. I couldn't possibly ask him, not now – perhaps not ever.

Zoe quickly declined the offer. She seemed wary of the eccentric woman.

"Oh… Well, how about some tea?" Misty sounded as if she was desperate for company.

How long had she been living here? How long had she been alone?

"I… I want to stay here with Kyle."

Immediately, her face lit up and she was flitting around the kitchen. Zoe looked relieved to be off the hook and with one more glance at Kyle, she was gone.

I didn't know what Kyle and her were talking about at the club and I wasn't worried before, but now, I wondered if I had been too ignorant of everything happening around me.

Looking at Kyle, still clutching tightly to me, I pushed those doubts away. I had to trust him. That's what love meant, right?

He had spent countless hours making sure I was safe and taken care of. Not a day had passed where I questioned his love for me. Why would things change, now?

I couldn't let those unfound fears hinder my ability to help him.

"You'll be okay, Kyle. I'll take care of you, now. I promise."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I didn't want to keep Kyle away for too long, so here he is! It's going to be difficult writing him like this, but we'll get through it together. I hope I haven't written anyone too out of character, right now. Everyone is starting to blend together – the actors with different roles.

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, Emmettluver2010** , guests ( **anonymouscsaifan** and **DaisyChain** ) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : He's back and he's probably going to be completely attached to Madi until he finds some autonomy of his own!

 **Emmettluver2010** : Madi is a witch. At the moment, her main powers are telekinesis and just a hint of resurgence. In moments of urgency, she will be able to use others in a limited sense, but I can't see her being able to control them.

 **anonymouscsaifan** : I can't stop staring at that extra 'a' in your name, this time. In terms of her age, she's in her second last year of high school (Sorry, I'm not too knowledgeable with the American education system. I know there's middle school somewhere, but I chose not to specify because I don't know what age they actually start and end that) when Kyle just starts college. She's two years younger than him. And LANA. I really don't know why she's there other than to signify that it's in the same universe… The entire season just really, really frustrated me. There wasn't much in terms of plot. It's like they're trying to build something up, but then literally kill it off in a blood bath. If you know the deeper meaning behind this season, I'd absolutely love to hear it because I can't even imagine how I'm going to write about it later.

 **DaisyChain** : He's baaaack and they're together! Yay!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, drop a review if you enjoyed this story!

Now, something completely irrelevant… Has anyone watched or is planning to watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? If you're a Harry Potter fan or just interested in a world with magic, I'd completely recommend it! It's rare for me to find much fault in movies because I tend to overanalyse everything and although there were a couple that made me question it, it's one of the best movies I've seen in theatres for a while. There _is_ an actor there that I found completely out of place, though. I don't find him appropriate for his role, but I'm hoping to be proven wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"Kyle, stop…" I hissed under my breath.

Misty had gone out a little while ago and was bound to come back, soon.

What I noticed never changed in him was his overactive libido. Even without any of his vocabulary, he had no problem expressing his more carnal needs.

"Muh… Muh…" He nuzzled my neck. I figured that he was still trying to say my name and his perseverance warmed my heart, but that didn't mean that I wanted to be caught by our host.

"Kyle…" I shuddered when the head poked at my crotch. I was still human. There was only so much I could take. "Kyle, not now…"

He left a slobbery kiss on my cheek.

"I'm back!" Misty sung out, skipping happily with a basket of greens.

I quickly shuffled away and straightened out my clothing. My eyes stubbornly avoided looking at Kyle. I knew without a doubt that he was pouting.

As I turned my attention to Misty, I couldn't help but appreciate her way of life. What I've noticed about her was her love of all things living and if she could live on only air and water, I knew she would. "Welcome back." I smiled at her.

The eccentric woman was easy to love, but sometimes, I noticed how clingy she could get. When she wasn't out foraging for food, she was inches away rambling about one thing or another with Stevie Nicks blaring in the background.

"We're going to feast, tonight!" she giggled, twirling to her cooking counter to place her basket down before checking up on the markings still marring Kyle's body. "He's looking much better, now. "Didn't I tell you he would? A couple of more weeks and he'd be as good as new."

I looked a the faded stitch marks on his neck. "Yes, and it's all thanks to you." I turned to her. "Thank you so much, Misty. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for everything that you've done for us."

She waved her hand dismissively. "I love the company! I'm so happy you're here! Once he's all healed up, it'll be even more fun!"

I wondered how long she expected us to stay here. Not forever, surely? I knew I had nowhere else to go, but I couldn't imagine being cooped up here for much longer once Kyle was healed. It wasn't horrible living with her, but it was so secluded from society. I missed what I had before in terms of accessibility.

For now, I decided to indulge her. I couldn't afford for us to be kicked out, now.

"Drink more water, Kyle." I brought the cup to his dry, racked lips, while he protested like a child. "Come on. Be a good boy. We all need to drink water. See?" I brought the cup to my own lips and took a small sip before offering it to him, again.

This time, he was more compliant and downed the entire cup in a single gulp.

I sighed, laying my head on his shoulder. This was how every day had been and how the next few days continued to be.

Every application of Misty's miracle mud, the pink skin faded a little more to his usual pallor.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, startling me from my nap.

Kyle gave a loud yelp and instinctively covered my body with his. The protective gesture made my heart skip a beat. Even now…

"It's okay. It's only Zoe," I told him when I spotted the blonde girl. It must've been quite a sight for her. I wondered what she must've been thinking. It didn't help that Kyle was still naked with small traces of mud all over him. "Look, it's Zoe. Do you remember Zoe? She's a friend."

The blonde crept towards us with a set of clothes in her arms. "We have to take him home."

The word 'take him' seemed to trigger his fears and he began to moan loudly in protest, wiggling and grabbing on to me as if someone was going to forcefully carry him off.

"It's okay," I repeated, stroking his hair.

"Muh…" He clung on as tightly as he could.

"Shh…" Once he was calm, I turned back to Zoe. "We're not going _home_. It's better for him to stay here where Misty can help him get better."

"But – "

"He's not ready, yet," Misty quickly added. She looked anxiously between us. "Let him stay here a little longer. He can go home when he wants to."

Zoe bit her lips, glancing at Kyle. With a sigh, she threw the clothes down and seemed to be resigning to our condition when suddenly, she grabbed Kyle by the arm and managed to catch him by surprise. In a minute, she had haphazardly flung the clothes on him.

He wailed and thrashed around.

"Stop it!" I shouted, trying to get her away from him, but a stray arm knocked me aside. My cheek throbbed and I knew there was going to be a big, ugly bruise there later.

As Misty was helping me up, Kyle was already gone. I didn't know how Zoe managed to coerce him away, but I was furious.

"You, poor dear," Misty cooed, gently touching my swelling cheek.

I pushed her away. "No, I have to get to Kyle. She doesn't know what she's doing."

How _dare_ she!? Who exactly did she think she was? For a mere hour she had known him and she thought she knew what was best? "Misty, I'm going after him. He's not safe there."

"It can't be that bad," Misty tried to argue as she dabbed a concoction on to my skin. "She's going to take him home, isn't she?"

"You don't know his mother like I do." I stood up. "Thank you, Misty, for everything, but I _have_ to get to him before anything happens."

Before she could say another word, I had grabbed my bag and ran off.

It was a long trek to civilisation. My clothes were soiled with mud, but only one thought came to mind.

 _I had to get to him_.

The road up the hill was torturous. What Misty had been feeding us was not enough to prepare me for this trip. When I plopped down on to the grassy ground, I began to cry. It was all wrong. Everything was wrong and I didn't know how to fix it.

I had no home. I didn't know where I was. Kyle was off with another girl about to be fed to his mother. How could I have let this happen?

Just as I was about to doze off in despair, a car honked and stopped in front of me. I blearily looked at the stranger who was leaning on his car. "Need a ride?"

I knew the smart thing to do was to say no, but I was desperate. No other car had passed by fro a very long time. I didn't want to know what Alicia would do when she found out what happened to him, nor could I predict how he would react to it.

Wiping my eyes, I stood up and observed the plaid-clad man with shades on. He looked like a city boy. "Hey, I don't bite, you know?" He flashed his pearly whites as I nodded.

What choice did I really have, now? "Please, I'd really appreciate it." With that, we both went into his car.

Every once in a while, eh asked me a question and in turn, I gave him a curt reply. It may be rude, but I couldn't get Kyle off my mind. Not only that, the questions were starting to become personal and I could feel the hair on my arms rise.

"You're really not going to tell me your name?" Jared asked, again. "It's not like I'm going to stalk you or anything."

"Lily," I finally replied. It was my middle name. I was given the name Madison Lily when I was dropped off at the orphanage, but no one ever called me that.

"Like the flower," he mused, trying to fill the awkward silence that was persistently pushing its way between us. 'You know, I can drop you off in front of your house. It's really no problem."

I shook my head. "The café is fine," I insisted.

He clamped his mouth shut, but I could feel him turn to look at me every few minutes. The sinking feeling when I first entered the car amplified.

"Look, Lily," he started. "I went out of my way to help someone in need. The least you could do is be a little more courteous."

I shifted my gaze to him. "Thank you for your generosity, if you want payment for the gas, I can – "

"That's not what I want." The car began to slow down as he drove beneath the shade. "You _know_ what I want, Lily. Even a cold bitch like you would understand what a man needs."

His change of tone sent a cold chill down my spine as I tried to frantically open the door, but the handle seemed to be broken.

"Didn't daddy ever tell you not to hitchhike?"

My heart stopped when I saw the glint of metal from the corner of my eyes. "Get away from me!" I shouted, trying to climb to the back where I hoped the doors would open.

He caught my ankle and I screamed. My hand reached to the handle where it gave way with no effort at all as if it wasn't even attached to any anything, but the hinges. What the Hell was wrong with his car?!

"Let go!" I tried to kick him with my other foot. He grabbed at it, but ended up letting out a string of curses when my shoe caught his jaw.

"Fuckin' bitch!" he growled. The knife sliced along my jeans when I was finally able to fall free of his grasp. What was I going to do? All the doors were broken and the only one that would probably works was on the driver's side. There was no way I was going near that perverted madman.

"Nowhere to run; nowhere to hide," he taunted with a sneer on his face. He was leaning sideways against his chair.

I eyed it with only one thought in mind. I'd have one chance to do it and if it didn't work, I was doomed.

Scooting behind him and away from his arms length, I pulled the little switch beside the chair. The back abruptly fell towards me and he came with it. The surprised yelp was followed by a groan of pain as I slammed my elbow into his face. There was a sickening crunch and I was sure that I had broken his nose.

While he was groggy, I quickly scrambled away from beneath the seat and crawled over him to open the door. I made sure to knee him in the crotch as I tumbled out.

As soon as I was on my feet, I was racing down the road. I wasn't going to stop until I found him. I wasn't going to stop even as my heart felt as if it was going to burst through my chest and my lungs wheeze from the overexertion.

When the old house finally came into sight, I felt an elation that I never knew could be related to this house.

I climbed the tree into my room and slipped in as I always did whenever Kyle and I stayed out late.

"Kyle…?" I whispered. The lights in the hall were on, but no one seemed to be around. "Kyle?"

I wandered around. Even Alicia seemed to be missing. I was sure that Zoe would bring him here. Had they gotten lost or was I just mistaken?

As I was about to push his door open, I heard a sound coming from the washroom. I could hear the water running and a familiar sob that broke my heart. "…Kyle?"

Slowly, the door swung open to reveal his broken form shaking beneath the faucet. Specks of blood was still littering his pink skin.

"What happened?!" I gasped, dropping down to my knees beside him.

He immediately clung on to me. 'It's okay. It's okay," I murmured. "Are _you_ okay?"

"M-Mm… Muh…" he grunted in frustration, pulling at his hair. "Hug…"

I untangled his fingers away from his soaked locks. "Madi," I slowly told him. "Ma-di."

"Muh… D-d… eeeee…"

Close enough. It was a start.

"What happened, Kyle?" He couldn't answer me even if he wanted to. "Where's Alicia? Where's your mom?" As soon as I mentioned her, he began to whine and struggle against me. "Okay. Okay." Something happened with her.

Had she taken advantage of him like I feared?

I rocked him in my arms until his breathing evened out. My body relaxed with him. It was a rough day for both of us. When Alicia finds us like this, I'd have to deal with it then. For now, the feeling of him pressed against me was comforting.

"Kyle!"

My eye snapped open and I saw Zoe staring at us with a look of horror on her face. "Oh, my God," she gasped.

I narrowed my eyes at her, pulling Kyle closer to me. I wasn't going to let her kidnap him, again. "What do you want, now?" I hissed.

"Oh, God… I'm sorry," she breathed.

At first, I thought it was because she finally realised that she had no right taking him away, but the horror in her eyes reflected otherwise. "What are you talking about?"

"Y-you… You haven't seen?"

When I stood up, Kyle came with me.

"Show me."

She warily walked through the house until we stopped in front of Kyle's room. Immediately, he began to whine and tied to drag me away.

"It's okay," I whispered. 'Stay here. I'll be right back."

He shook his head fervently. "Nnngh!" he grunted. His grip was bruising and when I yelped in pain, he abruptly let go. "Muh…"

"Shh… I'm okay. Stay. Here."

Like a scolded child, he sheepishly nodded.

Zoe opened the door and when I looked in, I saw it. The body laid twisted in a corner with the face completely caved in. I could see what had caused it.

Oddly enough, I thought seeing another dead body would affect me more, but there was only a sense of relief. She was gone. Kyle and I were free of her tyranny and could go wherever we wanted, now.

"We'll burn the house," I told her.

"What?!" she exclaimed in alarm. "You saw what he did! We have to call the police! We are _not_ going to – "

"You owe me, _Zoe_." I glared at her. "Because of _you_ , _she_ was able to violate him. What he did was an act of self-defense. If you had only listened to me, none of this would've happened, so you're going to clean up the mess _you_ made."

Guilt and regret was painted all over her face. I knew she blamed herself for what happened already, but I wasn't going to let her off so easily because of it.

After making sure that Kyle was outside and out of the way, Zoe doused the house in cheap liquor.

"Ma… Diiiiiii…"

I kissed his forehead. "We'll go somewhere safe where even her memories won't be able to hurt us."

He seemed satisfied with my words and went back to playing with my hair.

"Okay. It's ready," Zoe huffed as she came towards me. I drew the old lighter I had snatched out from my pocket and allowed it to move towards the house on its own. It hovered by the window inside Kyle's room.

"Goodbye…" I whispered.

Once the fire started, it showed no signs of stopping. It would be a while before anyone was to notice or care. No one liked her. She was always antagonistic to the neighbours. Karma had finally found its way to her.

"Drive," I ordered as we entered Zoe's car.

"Well, _excuse me_ ," she huffed. "I know I messed up, okay? You can't keep holding it over my head!"

"You mentioned a coven for people like me. Is it safe?"

She hesitated as she spoke. "Well… The people there are weird, but I don't think anyone is going to try to kill us."

That was enough for now. "Take us there and I'll say that everything has been forgiven." It was for the best, anyhow. Alicia had always been a problem. This only made things easier.

"We'll start a new life," I told him.

He blinked back at me.

With a smile, I turned towards the window where the scenery around us began to change. The small town I had spent most of my life in faded away into the distance. If I could do anything about it, I was never going to go back there, again.

The trees thinned out until houses lined the pavement with only narrow walkways and fences between them.

Zoe sighed in relief when she pulled her car to the curb in front of a beautiful gated property. The white manor stood proudly amongst the other houses. 'M-Madison – It's so weird having two of you, now – but I'm not sure if they'll let him stay here."

If that was the case, I'd just have to find somewhere else. It'd be an upward climb, but that was life. I started a new one before and I could do it, again.

"Cordelia? Cordelia!" Zoe called out once she entered the house. "She's probably in her office," she told me.

I nodded, gently pulling Kyle along. He was looking wildly around him and several times, he tried to wander off when something peculiar caught his eyes.

"Be good." I reined him back.

He pouted.

"Maybe these people can help us make you better," I whispered. This was a coven of witches. If any of them were like Misty, they could help him.

Zoe opened a door, revealing a blonde woman sitting behind a mahogany desk. "Cordelia? I… I think I found another witch."

She looked at us with piercing eyes. "Sit down." She motioned to the two chairs. "Zoe, please close the door behind you."

Once we were given our privacy, Cordelia began her onslaught of questions. It was simple, personal information at first, then, she asked me to show her what I could do.

I looked around the room. There were many little trinkets sprinkled around. I did what I always did for Kyle. The items danced around us, forming silly faces in the air.

As usual, Kyle was completely enamoured by it and poked a small clay statuette.

"But… Before you decide, I have one condition," I told her. This was going to be the deal breaker. "I'll only stay if Kyle can stay with me. As you can see, he's not well and there's nowhere else for him."

She pursed her lips. "We don't usually take in anyone who's not a witch, but I can tell that he will be of no harm to us." With a shuffle of papers, she smiled. "Welcome to The Coven."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

And they're finally at The Coven! It's only taken five chapters. From here on out, I have no clue what I'll be doing. I need to review the timeline of the canon plot.

Thank you **Keys25** , **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** , guests ( **Guest** and **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing.

 **Keys25** : Well… Depends on what you call a problem or obstacle :P

 **Guest** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : In regards to Madi and Alicia's reaction, I think it's more like she knows that woman so well that she can predict what could possibly happen. She knows that Alicia violates him and she knows that she tends to over-react, especially in her drunken state. Thanks for the info on the education system! I guess it's best I just leave all that out, especially now.

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Thanks for telling me about the education system! Yes, Madi would definitely never go anywhere without Kyle, especially after what happened with Zoe taking him away – even briefly. Unfortunately, she really didn't have a lot of options. There is no way she can stay at the Spencer household after what happened. Misty's residence isn't anything she is used to and I personally wouldn't want to live their either, as nice as she is, so I thought she'd give The Coven a try. Also, I've always wondered what that 'M' stood for. I guess now I know! There's going to be a Madison party!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story! Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed this!


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Our room was luxurious. Cordelia wanted me to keep an eye on Kyle, so we ended up together. It was really to my advantage. I didn't trust Kyle by himself right now and I didn't trust anyone else to take care of him.

It also seemed that the Coven came with several other perks, including a weekly allowance. I was able to buy clothes for Kyle and I. The ones we had all were matted with blood and mud. Even with the washes, all the stains never came off.

The fir night, I dragged Kyle out of bed and headed to the dining room. The other Madison didn't seem too surprised to see us there, but that didn't hold true for all of them.

"Who the Hell are they? I thought Spalding was the only guy here and I'm not sure I can really even call him a _man_ ," came the sneer.

"Queenie, this is umm… Madison," Zoe introduced.

"Another one?" There was a very obvious distaste in her tone.

"You can call me Lily if it's easier," It old them. "It's my middle name."

"Right, _Lily_."

"I'm Nan!" the last girl piped in with a wide, knowing smirk.

I nodded at her. "This is Kyle."

"Her brother," Zoe injected.

We tucked in and a quiet man with long, greying hair – Spalding – brought us our meals. Everything was so fancy here and the food made my mouth water. Just as I was about to dig in, I noticed from the corner of my eyes that Kyle was completely ignoring the utensils and began picking through his food with his fingers.

"Use this," I scolded as I wiped his hands and placed the fork in it.

He whined, holding the utensil as if it was going to bite him. "Madi!"

My heart leapt when he said that. It was reminiscent to how he was before when he didn't have his way. "Like this." I repositioned the fork and helped him with the first bite. When he began to get a hang of it, I noticed Nan snickering. She didn't even bother to be inconspicuous with her gaze.

"I know what you two are going to do later," she sang quietly to me.

"What?"

"I can read your mind," she simply replied.

My mind involuntarily conjured the image of our nightly activities. Biting my lips, I noticed that Nana seemed to be enjoying herself. I really didn't need to know this, but I also couldn't let her blab our secret to everyone. "If you keep it a secret, I'll let you keep… reading my mind." It wasn't as if I could really stop her and it seemed that she knew it, too.

"Okay." She shrugged, the grin never wavering on her face.

What a strange group of people…

The rest of the night went surprisingly well. Queenie was loud and rather crude and her voodoo powers were scary to say the last, but everyone seemed to work in its own weird ways.

It wasn't until I met their Supreme that things became just a little more precarious. She was an elegant woman with expensive tastes.

According to Nan, she was the "all powerful" Supreme. What that position really entailed, I wasn't sure. The way she looked down at me made me feel as if I was nothing but an ant about to be stomped by her thousand dollar heels.

"Mmmmadiiiii," Kyle whined after I had him change into his pyjamas. He was watching me with wide eyes. I knew he wanted something, but I wasn't sure what. It was like taking care of an infant… with wandering hands.

That was a disturbing thought that I would never think, again.

"Stop it, Kyle." I flushed. "It's time to sleep. You'll heal faster when you're resting." I pushed him down on to the bed with full intentions to force him to sleep, but when he pulled me down with him, I could feel the bulge poking my stomach. "We shouldn't…" I whimpered when he laid a sloppy, wet kiss at the corner of my lips. " _Sleep_."

I pushed his hands away when they tugged at my shorts. "If you're not going to listen, I'll have to tie your hands together."

He didn't seem to understand, but my stern tone made him pout and he obediently stilled.

My eyes softened. "Good night, Kyle. I love you."

The lights went out and I relaxed against him. The sound of his rhythmic heart beat made me sigh in contentment. It was going to be an uphill battle, but to have him back, I really had nothing to complain about.

The next morning, I found myself completely enveloped by Kyle. This must've been what Tate felt back then. "Kyle…? Wake up."

He didn't budge.

"Come on, I need to go to the washroom."

With a shake and a poke, he finally rolled over before proceeding to grab my pillow and hugged it against him when I sat up.

I smiled. It was something I had seen him do countless mornings before.

…

So, can I watch you guys, tonight?"

I stared at her in disbelief. "I said you can read my mind, not stare at us in our room. Besides, we're not doing that, right now. He's still healing."

"Yeah, but he wants to. You're just being difficult," she retorted.

"How do you know what he wants?" I didn't like someone who was practically a stranger think they know Kyle better than me.

She gave me a cryptic smile. "I'll tell you if you let me watch."

Crossing my arms, I shook my head. That was never going to happen. Our room was our safe haven. It was where the two of us were allowed our privacy. No one could hurt us there when we're together.

"Whatever." Nan shrugged. "I'll get my own action. The house next door is moving in and I think I saw the son. He is sooooooo hot."

"Who's hot?" Madison raised her eyes at the excited girl when she and Zoe walked in.

Nan narrowed her eyes. "No one."

It seemed like it was common knowledge that Madison was going to steal any boy that she could. "Let's go give them a proper greeting," she grinned. "It's going to be a good night, tonight."

Zoe seemed a little more hesitant to go as Madison dragged her out.

Nan rolled her eyes at me before grabbing a cake tray. "She may have the looks, but I know the way to a man's heart! I baked him a cake that he won't be able to resist!"

I looked at the two disappearing forms. "You guys go ahead. I – "

Nan hooked her arm around mine and skipped us out the door despite my protests. In her other hand was the glistening chocolate cake she had baked. It really did look delicious. She never struck me as a baker, but she seemed to be full of surprises.

The house next door was nearly as grand as the Coven's manor. With the door still opened for the movers, we strolled right in and was met with a startled look that transformed into a charming smile.

Nan was right. The neighbour boy was very good looking, but he was no Kyle.

"Hi, I'm Luke," he introduced himself. "I believe we're your new neighbours?"

Before Nan could say anything, Madison was practically pressed against him. "I'm Madison Montgomery, but you probably already know that," she purred.

Luke smiled politely at her, but the shifting eyes gave away how uncomfortable he was. Those hazel eyes soon settled on Nan and then, the cake.

He brushed off Madison who huffed with indignation and was in front of Nan. "Hi."

"Hello," Nan beamed. "I baked this cake for you."

"Looks delicious." He graciously took the cake as he continued to stare at her.

My eyebrows rose above my hairline. Interesting… I definitely liked him. Not only did he ignore Madison as if she was just another girl – which she was, despite her modelling and acting history, but he seemed genuinely interested in Nan.

"Who are you?" a stern voice suddenly interrupted us.

A middle aged woman had her arms crossed as she glared at us. "Who are you? Do you always make a habit of going into people's homes unannounced?"

"Mom, they're our new neighbours," Luke explained. "They were just here to bring us cake."

Her piercing eyes only momentarily glanced at the pastry before they were directed back on us. "Thank you, but I would appreciate it if you rung the doorbell first, next time. Now, please leave my house. I have a lot to do and I don't need four girls getting in my way."

Her tone of voice made me frown. There was something very familiar about her attitude. She reminded me of Alicia. Her controlling behaviour made me wonder if she also treated Luke the same way Alicia treated Kyle.

"Look, lady." Madison walked right up to her. "I don't care if you're his mother. Luke's a big boy. He doesn't need his mommy getting in the way of him getting a hot piece of ass."

He words only further triggered the mother's ire. " _GET OUT!_ "

"Mother – "

"No, Luke. Go upstairs. These – "

Suddenly, the curtains around us burned high to the ceiling. For a moment, I saw him staring back at me through the flames, but I quickly shook the image away. That was impossible. Kyle was alive and in our room where he was safe.

"Let's go." I tugged Nan's hand, but she continued to gaze longingly at Luke who seemed to be doing the same.

"We have to get rid of the fire first," she argued as Madison Montgomery stomped away.

The mother was screaming in horror, while Luke could only stare in disbelief.

I sighed and flipped the water from the flower vases to douse the flames. "Come on."

I couldn't believe what Madison had just done out of such a petty argument. Was she really that desperate? Luke wasn't even interested in her. Perhaps that was the root of her anger – the humiliation of being upstaged by Nan.

When we arrived back at the house, Nan plopped on to the couch with a sigh. "If only I had a few more minutes. I'm sure I would've made Luke fall for me."

Her wistful expression made me smile. "Don't worry. I think he's already in love with your cake. I'm sure we'd be able to catch him alone, next time."

"Yeah!" she grinned back.

Despite her unconventional behaviour and tendencies, she became one of my closest friends. There was a passionate and optimistic girl beneath all the quirkiness.

"I want what you and Kyle have," she sighed. "It must be so nice."

I looked around to make sure no one was listening. "It didn't come instantly. I've known him most of my life."

"He's not your real brother, right?"

I nodded. "I was adopted by his father. Alicia never liked me, but I think it only pushed Kyle and I closer together. He defended me like a big brother would – at home and at school." I smiled at the memories. When did the relationship really change? Was there a particular time that just being siblings wasn't enough?

The first kiss had set everything into motion, but I knew it was long before then that I had started viewing him as more. A part of me must've loved him since the first day when he invited me to play with his favourite action figure. No one had ever been that kind to me.

"Muh – di?"

"Hey, Kyle." I kissed his forehead.

He had a frown on his face.

That was never good.

"What's wrong?"

There was a jumble of sounds, but nothing I could decipher. At my confused expressions, he dragged me to the big window and pointed at the neighbour's house. He kept pointing and stomping his feet, grunting in frustration.

"Muh –di! N-nuh ooo!" He jabbed his finger at the glass pane, angrily. "NO! No! No!

I tilted my head. These were the first words he had ever attempted to say properly other than my name. He was very determined to tell me not to go to their house. Was there a reason for that?

As Luke appeared at the window with only his trousers on, Kyle angrily pulled the curtains closed with a low growl.

It was then that I realised what he was trying to get at. My lips quirked up. So _that_ was why he was upset. His jealousy was endearing, but unnecessary.

"Oh, Kyle." I tugged him away from the window. "You never have to worry about him or anyone else. You'll always be the one I love most."

He stared at me with wide eyes and pulled me into a clumsy kiss.

"Mm…" I happily hummed, snuggling against him.

…

 _"Madi?"_

 _I sighed, rubbing my cheeks against the toned contours of his chest. "I love you, Kyle."_

 _It had been such a long time since I've felt peace like this. So much had happened in such a short period of time, but I'm glad that through everything, I still had him._

 _"Madi?"_

 _"We can go for ice cream at the park," I continued, smiling as I imagined the last time we had gone together. It was a wonderful day, even if it had poured and we were completely soaked by the time we got home. Even if Alicia had yelled at us all night because of how late we stayed out. Even if we had both gotten sick the next morning. At least I spent it all with him._

 _"_ _Madi!_ _"_

 _My eyes snapped open. The trip around my waist tightened when I tried to turn to see who was calling out to me. The voice sounded familiar, but it couldn't be…_

 _I looked at Kyle who was still sleeping peacefully. If he hadn't been the one, then who…? "Kyle?"_

 _I couldn't hear it anymore._

 _"Go back to sleep, Madi," he mumbled, rolling us over so that he was nearly completely on top of me. As comforting as the familiar weight was, I couldn't help feeling that something was amiss._

 _"Wait, Kyle. I think something's…" What was I saying? What could possibly be wrong? I was just being silly._

 _"_ _MADI_ _!"_

 _"Did you hear that?!" No, I couldn't ignore it anymore. My heart raced in my chest and I tried to push him away. There was someone else in the room. I could feel it. "Kyle, get off. I need to – "_

 _"Go. Back. To. Sleep."_

 _His eyes were opened, nw. Two glowing red orbs burned into me._

 _This wasn't Kyle. Someone else was wearing his skin._

 _"Get off me!" I screamed, trying desperately to push him off, but he was an unmoveable weight. "Get off! Kyle! Kyle, help!"_

 _He chuckled. The rumble of his chest shook me to the core. "Mm…" He nuzzled my neck as if he was really him. "Don't be afraid, Madi. Haven't I told you time and time again that I would never hurt you?"_

 _"Get off!" I continued to futilely push against him. No matter what he did or said, I knew for a fact that he wasn't my Kyle._

 _"Shh…" He stroked my hair._

 _"What did you do to him?! I – I heard his voice earlier... What did you do?!" I shouted, struggling against him. If Kyle was gone because of this demon…_

 _"Calm down," he chastised as if I was but a young child. "He's still here. Your worries are unwarranted. He's only sleeping – healing. His mind is in fragments. It'll be a while before he'll be back to how he was before."_

 _"I doubt you invading him is only making things worse," I snarled._

 _He smirked. "On the contrary, my presence is actually helping him. You'll just have to deal with me in the meantime. Before you know it, you'll have your precious Kyle back."_

 _I sniffed. It didn't really make things better, but at least Kyle was safe and he'd be back to normal soon._

 _"While we wait…" His grin stretched across his face. "Let's have some fun."_

 _It only took a snap of his fingers to remove all clothing from our bodies. I could feel the familiar fear creep up in my throat. "No!"_

 _My wrists were raised above my head, trapped in his much larger hand._

 _"No, don't!" I cried as I felt his swollen head brush against my thigh. "Don't,_ _please_ _."_

 _He ground his hip against mine one last time before collapsing against me with a sigh of resignation. "Damn you…"_

 _I couldn't believe that he had actually listened. I was completely at his mercy. No one else was there to stop him._

 _"I really hate you, sometimes…" I heard before everything began to fade to black._

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry for the late update! I had everything written in my notebook and was going to type it, but I had such an off two weeks that I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Too bad I still needed to go to work and that was a huge source of my distress. I worked five days, had one day off and then another five days. You wouldn't believe how done I am, right now. I know there are a lot of people who work more than me, but I'm so mentally drained after what happened.

December also seems to be the month where all my friends have their birthdays, so I'm stuck doing what I love, but in a more panicked state of mind because I didn't have as much time to prepare it as I liked. All my Christmas cards will be done, soon, though and the presents wrapped, so that's always a good thing. I might've outstretched myself by making around thirty Christmas cards from scratch.

Anyway! Please, forgive me for posting this a week later than expected! It shouldn't happen again!

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, NameWithNoMeaning** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan** and **DaisyChan** ).

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Haha! Yes! Carnal knowledge! I never actually thought of your name in that way, but I completely understand what you mean with staying at the back and collecting knowledge.

 **NameWithNoMeaning** : Yes! The other Madison problem will definitely be a much bigger problem in the future!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Some of your questions will be answered in the next couple of chapters! In terms of the threesome thing… … …

 **DaisyChain** : You'll just have to wait and see!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

I apologise again for the late update. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to put up the next chapter on time, but after this month is over, things should mellow back down. I really can't wait for that!

Does anyone else have this love/hate relationship with holidays like me?


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

My eyes snapped open and I gasped for air as if I had been deprived of it for hours. Looking around me, I noticed that Kyle was still sleeping and the sunlight was piercing through the white, laced curtains.

"Kyle…?" I gently shook him. I had to know. What I saw had to have been a dream – a nightmare. There was no way some spirit could've taken over his body, right? "Kyle!"

He groaned and tried to brush me off, but I straddled his hip and shook him more frantically. "Wake up!"

At the glimpse of his bleary chocolate orbs, I nearly collapsed on top of him in a weeping mess. It was all a dream. How could I have ever doubted it? Kyle was on the mend to becoming my Kyle, again.

"Muh…?" He looked back at me in confusion while I leaned over him to hold him in a tight embrace.

"Kyle, you're okay," I whispered. "Don't leave me. I love you so much. Don't ever leave, again."

He whined and large droplets of tears trailed down his face as he cried with me. I quickly wiped our faces dry and shot him a wide, watery smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just being silly."

He blinked at me in puzzlement. My mood swings couldn't be good for him.

I kissed him and his lips quirked into a cute smile. Just like that, life was alright again for him. I wished that I could be like that, too.

While Nan and I got along quite well and Zoe wasn't too bad, neither Madison nor Queenie seemed to like me. Queenie thought I was too soft and frequently taunted me about how I allowed Kyle to trail around me 'like a lost puppy.' Madison, however, seemed to be eying him in a way that made me want to hit her. It was a look I often saw directed at him, but no one else was as direct as her.

Sometimes, I felt as if she did it to spite me. It was always when I was looking that she touched him in inappropriate places. It made my blood boil and there would always be something breaking when it happened.

"Look, I'm going to be the next supreme," she bragged, haughtily throwing her hair over her shoulder. "I always knew that I'd be something great – actress, model… now, the most powerful witch." She laughed.

Cordelia frowned at her. "It is not unheard of for witches to develop more than one power."

If it was, then I'd be the next supreme. I knew I could do more than mere telekinesis, but it wasn't anything that I could really control.

"Just because you can set things on fire, doesn't mean you're the new supreme." Queenie glared at Madison who looked at her nails in disinterest. "Stupid bitch. None of your stupid powers would ever beat my Voodoo powers, anyway."

Madison rolled her eyes. "I don't have time to play with you," she scoffed before turning on her heels. "I have supreme things to prepare for!"

Seeing that the centre of her ire was gone, Queenie also left in a tirade of curses.

Zoe sighed. "I hate it when they do that."

Kyle seemed to hum in agreement.

The only one unaffected was Nan. She was grinning as if she was watching a live play. "You start to get used to it," she told us. "It's really funny if you knew what everyone is thinking when it happens."

I flushed. I kept forgetting Nan's ability. Where had my mind wandered off to during that moment?

Kyle's hand tightened on my knee.

"Madi. F-Foooood."

There were a few basics that I had managed to teach him. It was difficult taking care of his needs before when he didn't know how to express himself. Now, he knew enough for me to take care of him.

"Let's go make you a sandwich," I told him as Fiona appeared.

She lifted an eyebrow at us before shouting for the "new maid" that seemed behave as if she was from a completely different time. "Delphine, go make them sandwiches!"

The middle-aged woman glared at her, but complied nonetheless.

I wasn't sure exactly why she was working as a maid here. Her attitude indicated that she was completely unwilling and unqualified for the job. Besides, Spalding was a much better cook.

The silent butler was undoubtedly an asset to the Coven. His loyalty to Fiona was bordering on obsession at times.

When the sandwiches were angrily slid across the table in front of us, I looked at it with caution. What were the chances of her spitting in our food?

Kyle, however, wasn't too concerned, neither was Nan, but Zoe and I shared a look and decided to push our plates away.

"So, Zoe… You have a crush on – "

Zoe quickly covered Nan's mouth with a glare on her face, but the other girl gave it a lick, which cause the hand to quickly retract.

"It's none of anyone's business," Zoe quickly said, looking down at her plate.

Nan grinned at me, but I could only grown and thoughts raced in my mind. It wasn't exactly a surprise that Zoe liked Kyle. Many girls did, but we were all living together and Kyle wasn't' exactly in his right mind. Was there a chance that this Kyle would be interested in Zoe?

"Kyle, I have something to show you later that could help you," Zoe suggested, touching his shoulder to catch his attention.

He tilted his head to look expectantly at her.

"You'll spoil him," I told her.

She smiled, sadly. "I feel like it's my fault that he's like this. The thing I bought is just in my room. I – I can take Kyle up there and teach him how to use it."

I bit my lips. I didn't like where this was going. I may have forgiven her for taking him to Alicia, but I was never going to forgive her for contributing in killing him. She didn't understand what I had to go through. There was no way I was going to let them be alone after that. "I'm sure it'd be simpler if you tell me what it is and I can help him with it."

Zoe frowned. "I can do it. Come on, Kyle." She placed her hand into his and tugged him towards the stairs.

Kyle looked at me with wide, uncertain eyes.

"Do you want to go with her?" I asked. "Zoe said she wants to teach you something in her room."

He looked at his feet and he held his other hand towards me. "Madi…?"

I shook my head. "It's just going to be Zoe and you. I'll be in my room." At that, he seemed to understand the situation a little better and fervently shook his head.

"Kyle, what are you doing? Stop - !" Zoe exclaimed as he violently pulled his hand away and buried his face into my hair, clinging on tight enough that I knew it would leave red marks behind, but that was fine.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see how upset she was and it took all my willpower to suppress the triumphant smirk that made my lips twitch.

She had taken him away from me once before. It wasn't going to happen again.

"I guess I can take it out here and we can teach him together," she grudgingly offered. "Wait here."

I pulled Kyle to the couch with a sigh. What was wrong with me? Everything that had happened… It just wasn't _me_. I wasn't this vindictive person.

Quickly, I shook the thoughts away. If I ever let it consume me again, I wasn't going to get out any time soon. "Stay here. I'll be right back." I patted his knee as he pouted back at me. "It'll only take a minute."

My hands were shaking by the time I made it to my room. I dug into my raggedy teddy bear backpack and withdrew the small blue bottle. There were only a few white pills left. The elongated tablets slid easily into my throat and I made my way back to him.

By the time I arrived, Zoe was already there. Their legs were pressed together as she went over the alphabet chart with him. She was pronouncing each letter slowly, watching for him to copy her. The sounds coming from him came out distorted as if he didn't know what to do with his tongue.

When I sat back down beside him, he latched on to me. He pointed to each letter in succession. M "Muh." A "Aahh." D. "Duh." I. "Eeee."

That's right." I smiled.

He beamed at the praise and continued to listen to Zoe who seemed a little more hesitant to teach him. "This is pronounced 'Zee." For Zoe. "You can say that?"

"Zuh eeeee."

I listened to them for half an hour, semi-dazed as the medication did its work. All my muscles were relaxed and I laid my head on his shoulder. It wasn't long before I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take over.

…

In three days, I had gone through my medication. I was going to have to find another doctor here.

"Lily?"

I turned to Cordelia who was smiling softly at me. "I've been talking with the headmistress at the school I've gone to myself. She is pleased to allow you your final year there if you wish to finish your education."

School? I hadn't thought any of it since Kyle… How was Chloe doing? I never go tot tell her what happened. I'd have to rectify that, soon. "I'd love that," I told her. It was for the best. I needed a good education to get a good job. I didn't plan to stay here forever.

"Good. You'll be starting on Monday," she told me. 'That should give you enough time to get all your things together."

"Are the other going, too?"

"The others?" she asked. "Do you mean Zoe and Madison?"

I nodded.

"I believe they've both already graduated."

My eyes widened. That wasn't what I had expected. Was I the youngest one here?

"Zoe was in her first year of college before she dropped out when her powers emerged," was all Cordelia supplied before she handed me a list of school supplies to buy.

I stared contemplatively at it.

"I know what you're worried about," she stated, handing me another set of papers. "There is a special needs program there as well. I'm sure I'll be able to work out something for Kyle to stay with you. It'll probably be helpful for him to interact with others, even if they're younger."

"I'll have to talk to him about it," I told her. "Thank you for doing this for me."

Her smile widened. "I… I just want what's best for you." There was something unmistakeably sad in her eyes, so I had to ask. "It's nothing – something silly." She quickly wiped away the tears that were welling in her eyes. "You're a good girl, you know that? To take care of your brother…"

I shifted my gaze away from her. "Thank you. I'll go talk to him, now."

"You do that."

Before I left, I looked at her one more time. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She sighed, but her smile remained on her face. "Yes, I'm fine."

It was clear that she didn't want any help, right now, so I headed for my room with a heavy heart. Cordelia was a strong woman. When she needed help, I'd be there for her.

For now, I had a different issue to tend to. Would Kyle _want_ to go to school with me? I didn't know how he'd react to so many strangers at once in a quiet setting. I knew personally how cruel kids could be.

"Kyle?"

He looked up from his posterboard that was littered with mindless scribbles. "Madi!" His eyes shone with pride, mirroring my own. "Madi!"

"I'm here." I sat beside him on the plush beige carpet. "How are you feeling?"

"Fuh… Fff…"

"You're fine?"

He nodded.

"That's good." I spent an hour going through simple words with him before asking the big question.

As expected, he didn't seem to understand the concept of school. "It's somewhere we learn things like the alphabet. I'll be going there for the next three months. We'll be going together if you want."

He did, however, seem to like the word 'together' as his eyes lit up and he grabbed my hand. "Tuh… Tuh… Guh…"

"Yes. Together."

He happily agreed and pulled me into a kiss.

I sighed in contentment. He was really getting much better at that. "I love you, Kyle." I stroked his face and gently ran my finger across the fading scar around his neck, feeling him shudder at the touch. I swallowed the other words that threatened to spill from my lips. I missed him – the Kyle whom I could hold an intelligent conversation with.

"We'll fix you." I kissed him.

…

The first day of school was nerve-racking. I didn't know anyone there, but I could see the judgmental stares as I walked in with my brother.

I could see the way all the girls immediately began to whisper and giggle. There was a burst of doubt that I quickly stomped out. "I'm Madison Lily Spencer and this is my brother, Kyle."

"Kyle is a special needs student, so I expect all of you to treat him kindly, do you understand?" Mr. Quinto looked sternly at the class.

"The two of you can sit together at the back." He gestured to the two empty desks.

I tugged Kyle down the columns of students who continued to shamelessly stare. "Take your bag off," I told him when he failed to get into the seat with his backpack still on.

He followed my movements as I dropped my bag on to the floor beside my feet.

The lessons were typical. The curriculum was similar to the school I was attending, so catching up wasn't too big of a problem.

In fact, school was going much smoother than it was back then. I couldn't tell if it was because the people here were kinder of if I really stopped caring about making friends or what other people thought.

For the most part, Kyle and I stuck together. Mr. Quinto partnered us up for every assignment and allowed me to take extra time helping Kyle with his homework, which was vastly different from what the rest of the class was doing. It did cause some problems sometimes.

The weeks went by quickly as eight hours a day was spent in school, while the rest was left for studying. I was so absorbed that I never really understood how severe the issues really were for him.

"Look at that retard!"

I frowned as I hurried back to the cafeteria, where I left Kyle to go to the washroom. It was always during this time, wasn't it?

When I arrived, I felt fury burn inside me.

Three boys and a girl were throwing food at my brother as he tried futilely to block it with his arms. Sauce and pasta was stuck to his curls and ran down his shirt.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I shouted at them, racing over with murder in my eyes. "Get away from him!"

They looked at me, but only laughed. "What are you going to do about it, girlie?" the biggest one sneered. He reminded me of Big Dan.

"She's going to tell on us!" the female jeered.

I narrowed my eyes. I had to live with those pieces of trash all my life and each time, Kyle was there to protect me. Now, I was going to do the same for him. I was stronger. I could protect him. "I said… Stay. Away."

As the biggest charged at us, he hit an invisible wall and flew back.

The people who weren't looking before were not gawking at the large boy who was slumped over the metal garbage can, groaning in pain.

"What the fuck?!"

I pulled the whimpering Kyle against me. I felt bad for getting kicked out so quickly. After everything Cordelia was doing for me, I was going to end up disappointing her.

"It's alright, now, Kyle," I murmured to him as he huddled against me. "No one's going ot hurt you. I'm here."

" _What on Earth is going on here_?!"

I wasn't surprised when the entire cafeteria immediately fell silent. The headmistress had a powerful presence that demanded absolute obedience. It was actually rather frightening.

"Well…?"

"It was her!" one of them pointed out. "She did some freaky shit. George wasn't even doing anything! He was helping the retard and suddenly, _she_ comes out of nowhere and throws him across the room!"

A wave of mutters followed.

"Is that true, Madison?" She turned her piercing eyes at me.

All my bravado faded away and I felt like a young child, again. "N-No, I was only – "

" _Silence!_ "

I clamped my lips shut. Tears of frustration began to prick my eyes.

"Get him to the infirmary," she told George's posse before barking at me. "I want to see you and your brother in my office, _now_."

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

At the Z part, I nearly put "Zed." Does anyone say that there?

Are there special needs programs in high school? I know my elementary school had it, but not in high school. I guess if it's private, they can always accommodate…

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, NameWithNoMeaning** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan** and **Laurel** ) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGIrlwiththeM** : Yes! I never solved the issue with the demon, so I thought I'd bring it back. I love Nan. She's such an interesting character. Things are going to get a lot more hectic, soon!

 **NameWithNoMeaning** : Yay for dysfunctional families! I'm still stuck with them, but after Christmas, I'm sure it'll be another couple of months before things go crazy, again. (I hope…)

 **anonymouscsifan** : I really do wonder what Nan sees all the time. She always seem so mischievous to me that I couldn't help adding that part in. I can't stand Madison Montgomery either! I saw my schedule for work after Christmas and it looks like things might be a little better!

 **Laurel** : Haha! Madi IS difficult sometimes, isn't she? Can't spoil Kyle too much, can we? (No, of course we can!)

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story and being so understanding.

My next update should be at Christmas or so... I just need to type it up.

Wishing you all a happy holiday!


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Kyle and I sat quietly in the tidy office, staring at our laps. My hands were shaking as frustration coursed through every vein. It wasn't fair. I was going to be the stronger on, this time. Why wasn't it working out the way I planned?

"You know why you're in here, Madison Spencer." She sat on to her plush, black leather chair and pulled a stack of paper in front of her.

I gnawed on my bottom lip. "If you want to expel me, that's fine. I'll go, sign the papers or whatever and get out of your hair."

She froze in her writing. "Pardon?"

"I said – " Why was she prolonging this?

"I know what you said," she snapped. "Why did you think I was going to expel you?" A frown marred her perfectly made up face. She scribbled down a final note before pushing the sheets away to watch me. Her keen eyes seemed to burn straight through me.

I sighed. "You heard what they said."

"And do you believe them?"

"Believe… that I'm a freak?" I played with my fingers until Kyle stole them from me and held them in his hands, squeezing rhythmically – comfortingly. "Sometimes. It's hard not to when things like _that_ happen. All the people staring… whispering… Everyone always assumes the worst."

Her eyes softened. "Do you think this is the first time I've seen something like this happen? Eighteen years ago, I had a young woman who had to suffer the same fate. She was ridiculed for revealing herself. She wasn't the freak, it was those spoiled brats who hurt her who were the monsters." She coughed. "Pardon me for saying that, but children are cruel. You have to rise above their petty words and actions."

"I can't always help you, but you are one of our top students. I want to see you succeed and prove them all wrong, do you understand?"

I stared at her with wide eyes. This was not how I thought the conversation would go. Headmistress Giry always seemed to be a… cold woman. I never expected that kind of encouragement from her.

"Thank you, Headmistress," I whispered my gratitude.

"Good. Now, go to class before I give you detention for your tardiness and keep you here after hours," she barked.

My eyes widened and I quickly gathered my things before pulling Kyle with me. "Wait, one more question… Who was the other girl?"

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at me. "You should go ask your caretaker."

Cordelia? It was Cordelia?

When we arrived in class, everyone took one look at us and the whispers began, once more. Not all of them were as quiet as they thought. I could hear the derogatory words used to refer to me.

"Quiet!" Mr. Quinto shouted. "Go to your seat. There will be no more interrupts from _anyone,_ understood?"

"Come on."

I went through class as casually as I could. It was difficult not to notice the heads turning towards us every few seconds.

…

With the headmistress' support, I managed to ace my finals. After seeing the results, I took Kyle to the ice cream parlour. He was a little chocked at the cold treat at first, but soon, he had the entire cone stuffed into his mouth. This was quickly followed by a groan of pain as he experienced his first brain freeze all over, again.

I kissed his forehead when he whimpered. "You should've slowed down," I chuckled. "Remember that next time."

I noticed that when his eyes didn't have the eerie red tinge, he was my Kyle, but whenever it returned, I'd have to deal with the demon. It was rather taxing having to distinguish between the two.

Sometimes, it'd copy Kyle's mannerisms to trick me and when I'd find out, a headache was sure to start pounding in my head.

"Why don't you share some of that with me," he suddenly purred, snatching my own half eaten cone out of my hand.

I gave a shout of protest. Time with Kyle always seemed to short now that the other spirit was using his body. Not once did it give me a clue of what it wanted. "Give that back!" I tried to grab for it, but the demon held it away from me with a teasing look.

"You're so short. Shorter than I remember."

"Than you remember? Are you saying I drunk?" I crossed my arms. How dare it steal my ice cream and then tell me that I was _short_?

With a huff, I turned on my heels and stomped back to the manor.

Unlike Kyle from before – and now – it didn't seem too concerned with my departure. It never tried to apologise. Instead, it finished off my ice cream cone with no remorse.

"I hate you," I growled, glaring at the smug grin on his face. 'Is your sole purpose to annoy me to death? Is that how you plan to reunite us?"

He threw his napkin away. "Not to death. If you ever died, I'll make sure you'll still be by my side."

His eyes darkened. "I will never allow her to sink her claws in you." He wrapped a long arm around my waist. "You are mine, Madi. DO you understand? NO matter where or when you disappear to. _You. Are. Mine._ "

The possessiveness in his voice sent a chill down my spine. Most of the time, it seemed like fun and games for him, but when he got like this, all I wanted to do was run and hide.

No matter how human it pretended to be, it always slipped up, reminding me of the monster beneath Kyle's angelic face.

"You!"

I suddenly jumped away from it to stare at Fiona who was looking more frantic than I had ever seen her. "W-what's wrong?" Surely, it couldn't be about Kyle and my relationship.

"Follow me." Fiona briskly walked up the stairs where I knew Cordelia's room was situated. "Cordelia? I'm coming in." She walked through without waiting for a reply.

The room was dark. All the curtains were drawn. It was not what I imagined her room to look like. I always thought she'd have a bright room, full of life and magic. Light just always tend to follow her around as if she was the yin to Fiona's yang. All the good seemed to have been transferred to her – if Fiona had any light to begin with.

"Honestly, stop moping," her mother scolded. "Sit up. Let's have another look."

Cordelia slowly sat up from her fetal position with her hands covering her face.

"Stop that!" Fiona rolled her eyes, pulling her daughter's hands down in frustration.

My eyes immediately went wide and I was glad that Cordelia couldn't see my stunned expression.

Her beautiful countenance was heavily scarred over around her eyes and she had tears streaming down from her pale, sightless orbs. "C-Cordelia…?"

She gasped, quickly turning away. "W-what are you doing here? Please, leave. I – I don't want to see – want you here," she sobbed.

"Shut your whining. Come here, Lily." Fiona beckoned me over. And I hesitantly complied.

I had never tried to heal anything as extensive as this. Even for small wounds, I rarely got the results that I wanted. Kyle could attest to that – when he was in his right mind.

 _"Madi! Madi!" A much shorter Kyle Spencer was limping towards me in the middle of his football game._

 _It was half time and everyone had split up for a small break._

 _He had come over and quickly rolled his left pant leg up. "Help?" He stared at me with his wide, pleading eyes. There was a deep, red gash at the side of his calf where it must've caught something as he was falling._

 _"There are so many people here," I replied, nervously looking around to see if anyone was watching._

 _"It'll be quick. Please? It really hurts." His bottom lip stuck out, trembling pitifully at me._

 _With a sigh, I ran my finger over the wound before imagining the skin closing. I pictured his previously perfect skin and slowly, the wound began to close. Everything was going well until a loud shout close by startled me and my hand jerked._

 _Kyle let out an agonised cry as blood splattered across the grass._

 _I watched in horror, wandering how I could've hurt him like that._

 _Sure, the initial injury had completely closed without even a scar, but where it was once clawless skin was now a bloody mess. The same energy I had used to heal the gash had damaged him when it was met with nothing to do._

 _Needless to say, Kyle wasn't able to continue the game. He had been carried off by two of his teammates. There were accusatory glances and whispers directed at me. Kyle was popular amongst his peers while I remained his tag-along sister, so it wasn't a surprise when some of them thought I had I had been the one to do it because of jealousy._

 _I tried not to let it get to me. It wasn't their fault that they didn't know how deep my love for him ran. He was my everything. Without Kyle, Madi would simply cease to exist._

 _When I went to visit him,. He was laying in the infirmary bed with his eyes closed. His pale pallor and still form reminded me of a corpse. It was like seeing. Mr .Spencer for the last time, again._

 _"K-Kyle?" I whispered._

 _Slowly, his eyes fluttered open and he looked at me. A weak smile spread across his lips. "…Madi. You have blood all over you. Did you kill a bird?"_

 _My lips began to tremble. "It's y-yours, stupid!" Tears streamed down my face as I stood with my face buried in my hands._

 _As I foolishly stood there crying, I heard the old bed creak and slow shuffling approached me._

 _"I'm okay, Madi," he murmured, wrapping his arms around me. "I'm sorry. Please, stop crying."_

 _"W-why are_ you _apologising?!" I cried. "I was the one who did that to you!"_

 _"Because I made you cry."_

 _I looked at him with teary eyes and saw him smiling back at me._

Even though I had been the one to hurt him, he was the one who thought he needed to apologise. What if I did the same to Cordelia?

"C-Cordelia, I don't want to hurt you." My hands were shaking.

"Stop being such a wimp. She's already looking like _that_. What other damages could you really do?"

Fiona didn't understand my fears and when I tried to walk away, she quickly grabbed my wrist. "You leave now and you leave the Coven forever," she hissed.

"Mother!" Cordelia gasped in shock. "Lily, you will _not_ be forced to do anything. You don't have to do this. I don't know what you're trying to do, but you will not make this poor girl do anything!"

Fiona sneered at her daughter. "I am doing this for your own good. What an ungrateful child!"

Before they could continue arguing, I cut in. "I'll do it."

They both turned towards me – seeing and unseeing eyes.

"I'll do it. I'll try my best, but I don't know what to do, really. I-I'll try my best though." As I stared nervously between the two of them, Cordelia's warm hands found mine.

"Thank you." A gentle smile graced her lips. "That's all you'll ever have to do. Know that I'll always be proud of you."

I took several deep breaths before gently touching the half-healed ridges. If I kept myself from being distracted, it should be alright.

I imagined how she looked before – the smooth, flawless skin and the softness in her warm, brown eyes.

I could feel the skin begin to knit together. All I heard was my own deep breathing and the thrumming of power running down my arm.

When I opened my eyes and pulled my hand away, there was a gasp from Fiona.

"Goodness, child. I'm surprised no one has trapped you in a hospital!" There was a glint in her eyes that made me nervous. "I don't suppose it'll work on winkles, as well?"

I shifted my eyes away from the Supreme. "H-how are you feeling, Cordelia?"

She touched her face experimentally and a smile spread across her face. My hope was soaring high until she opened her eyes and the glassy orbs looked through me.

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Fiona cursed, backhanding me to the side.

I tumbled out of bed, too shocked to even feel the pain.

"Mother!" Cordelia scolded. "It's not her fault!" She turned to me. "Lily. Lily, are you okay?"

Tears were already welling up in my eyes as the painful throbs pulsed through my face. "I…" My voice came out as a squeak. If I said anymore, I knew that I was going to end up sobbing.

"Go heal yourself! You're not helpful with anything else!" Fiona stormed away, slamming the door behind her.

It wasn't until Cordelia blindly reached over to me did the shock finally wear off and I burst out crying. "I-I'm sorry!" I sobbed. "I really wanted to help! I never… I can never do anything right!"

Two arms encircled me. Whispers of comfort wisped around me as I buried my face into her soft nightie. "It's okay, Lily. You've done nothing wrong. Mother should never have put so much pressure on you. It wasn't fair to you. She's the current Supreme. If she couldn't;' do it, how could she expect you to?"

I clung on to her like a young child. It actually felt quite nice in her arms. She was warm and loving. I couldn't recall anyone holding me like this before.

My. Spencer was nice, but it just wasn't the same. Cordelia had a… motherly touch.

I pictured her as my mother. How much happier would I have been?

Of course, that would've meant never meeting Kyle and the prospect wasn't so appealing anymore.

…

Life slowly went back to normal after. I knew Fiona was giving her daughter a hard time about her eye sight and I didn't know how to help her, but nonetheless, she enjoyed hearing me talk aimlessly about school.

I had applied to every college and university I could. Where it was didn't really matter.

What was strange, however, was Fiona's suddenly interest in Madison Montgomery. It was subtle, at first, but not long after, the incident at the neighbour's house, they seemed to have formed something akin to a mother-daughter relationship. I knew it was definitely affecting Cordelia.

"Have you seen Madison, lately?" Zoe came over to ask, one day. "The other Madison, I mean. It's weird. I haven't seen her in a while." It didn't seem like I was the only one to notice something strange happening around here, lately.

"'M not sure," I mumbled. "I try not to notice her when I can."

Zoe sighed. "Yeah, but it's just _weird_. I saw her hanging out with Fiona for a couple of weeks and then, she suddenly disappears. What the Hell?"

At first, we'd keep an eye out for her out of curiosity, then, the worry set in. Madison Montgomery had been MIA for the better of one month. No one seemed to have heard or seen from her.

With all her possessions still as they were in her room, it didn't seem like she had run away, but where could she have gone?

"I bet someone finally killed her and threw her body in some dumpster," Queenie smirked.

It wasn't an impossibility. Madison had a way of getting herself into trouble when she overestimates herself. "How could no one know where she went?" I mused. Could one of us be lying? It suddenly felt like some murder mystery in some fancy mansion.

Nan grinned. "Someone must be lying then! And since it's not any of you – "

"How do you know that?" Zoe frowned.

"I can hear all your thoughts, remember? I'd know if it was you guys."

"God, damn it! I hate it when you do that," Queenie grumbled.

That meant that it was probably one of the more powerful witches. Cordelia seemed to be too kind to do anything like murder, but Fiona? She was the most suspicious. Why the sudden interest before Madison's disappearance?

"Let's try to contact her," Zoe suddenly suggested.

"You really think she's dead?" I asked. It was really all speculation.

"Yeah."

It wasn't difficult looking for a spirit board. There was one stored away in the supply closet. A thick layer of dust covered it, but with a quick wipe, it was good enough to use.

We all put our fingers on the planchette.

"Can you hear me?" Zoe started, sounding a bit hesitant.

There was a moment of silence as the sense of foolishness washed across us. Suddenly, the piece flew across the board.

' _Yes.'_

The questions and answers came quicker and quicker. At first, I thought it was some kind of group psychology mentality where we were subconsciously moving the piece without knowing it. When the answers became stranger and stranger, however, Zoe asked the questions that was nagging on all of our minds.

"Is this Madison Montgomery?"

There was no hesitations as the triangular piece moved.

' _No.'_

Who had we been speaking to?

 _'Axeman'_

"Do you know where she is?" I asked.

' _Yes.'_

"Where is she?"

' _A-T-T-I-C.'_

That was enough. We hurried up the stairs and began to search the entire room.

I had never been here before and what I saw surprised me. There were dolls and frilly dresses strewn around. Madison was nowhere to be seen.

Eventually, we brushed off the dolls sitting on an old, wooden trunk and there she laid. Her skin was ashen and patchy. Her neck had a long dark gash with dried blood still stained on her pale skin. One of her arms rested detached beside her.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!

I know I've missed Christmas for some of you, but I got sick the day before Christmas Eve and I've basically completely lost my voice. I was getting chills, headaches, congestion, everything was hurting, and it was just not good.

Regarding the story, I have no idea how old Cordelia is, but I looked at the actress' age and picked something close to it. If anyone knows, I'd happily change the years to reflect it.

I hope this chapter doesn't seem to odd. I ended up stitching parts of Chapter Nine in here because I finished Chapter Eight much earlier and then changed my mind on where I wanted the focus to be. So this chapter is basically a mixture of Eight and Nine as will the next one…

I also didn't know if people wanted more regarding their school life, but I just realised that we're on Chapter Eight and I haven't really moved that far along regarding the canon plot. I'm really dilly dallying this one, aren't I?

Anyway!

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan** and **Laurel** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I'm slowly going to explain Kyle's situation. Next chapter might make things more clear on everyone's positions. You may also hate me next chapter… Ahahaha… … Merry Christmas, to you too!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Madi isn't doing too bad in school! It's just Kyle, now…

 **Laurel** : Teehee… I love spoiling Kyle… I'd spoil him all day, every day if he was mine…

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Feel free to tell me if there are any typos... I really, REALLY rushed typing this chapter.

I'd love to see some reviews… as presents? Not mandatory, but it'd be nice! I know how busy everyone is during the holidays!


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

"What should we do?" Nan asked, gazing passively down at our deceased housemate.

"We'll have to tell Cordelia. Maybe we can bring her back like – " Zoe looked at me.

I nodded. I didn't like Madison Montgomery, but that didn't mean that I wanted her dead. She was so young and if her body was still in the house, that meant that the murderer was probably close by. We could all be in danger. It was worth a shot bringing her back.

Once Cordelia was informed of Madison's murder, it didn't take the council long to arrive. There were three of them, each sounding as pompous as their job title.

"What do you think happened?" Nan asked.

"It was probably Fiona," I supplied my suspicion. "Who else do you think could've gotten away with it?"

" _Nearly_ gotten away with it," Zoe corrected me. "If we hadn't found her body, then she really would've."

"We'll need to bring her back to find out," the bright red-haired spectacled woman stated.

My eyes shifted to Fiona and saw how her face paled. "Why – "

"She'll be the only one who can tell us exactly what happened."

While death had always been a very permanent idea back then, it seemed more like a fleeting event, now. The council easily revived Madison who gasped back to life. Dark clumps of blood choked out of her throat. She was dazed and incoherent for the first few hours, but her old personality quickly bled through.

Seeing this, I wondered if Kyle could've been like that too if we had only done it properly the first time. If we had, then he wouldn't have had to suffer, now.

"I'm sorry, Kyle," I whispered, stroking his beautiful curls. He really needed a haircut, soon.

I sighed, settling back against him. "I love you so much."

His grip tightened around me before trailing down to my thighs. I shifted away. I really wasn't in the mood. "Later…" I mumbled as he persisted. "Kyle, stop playing. I – "

When he continued to run his hand between my legs, I looked at him with a frown, but froze as his glowing orbs stared back at me. I let out a startled yelp, trying desperately to scramble away, but he held on fast.

"Let go!" I was quieted by his lips. My struggles were futile as his larger form pressed me into the mattress. A hard bulge ground against me.

"Who are you?" I hissed when he pulled away, slightly. I was frustrated with all the games. This spirit was playing around with us and wouldn't tell us anything about it.

He chuckled. "You know who I am, Madi." He stroked my hair. "Do we really have to go through this, again? I'd much rather do something else, right now." His half-hooded eyes were burning into mine.

"No! Get _out of_ him!" I shrieked, hitting him in the chest, but I might as well have been punching a wall. It probably hurt me more than him. Kyle was still so amazingly toned after not working out for so long.

He pushed his face in front of mine. "You are _mine_ , Madi," he hissed. " _Learn to accept it_."

As my eyes widened, he flexed his jaw in annoyance. "I can help him," he recollected himself. "If you allow me to do as I please with you, he will be mentally sound in… three months."

I bit my lips. Three months… It sounded like such an arbitrary time. It also sounded like an eternity, but if this thing can ensure that he'd be back to how he was before… That was a small price to pay. Besides, it wouldn't be difficult to imagine him as my Kyle… right?

Kyle.

I'd do anything for him.

I could do this, too.

"Okay," the affirmation came out before I could think it over some more.

He raised an eyebrow at me before a smirk stretched across his face. "Good choice," he sighed, breathing against my neck. "Now… What had you said about tying my hands before?"

My eyes widened as he pulled the draw string of his sweat pants loose. The soft fabric pressed against my wrists as I could only stare at him in fear. "W-what are you planning?"

He ripped the thin nightie from my body and I shivered as the cold air brushed against me.

His red eyes darkened with lust. He ran his hands down my thighs and let out a low groan as he wrapped his lips around a hardened nipple.

"A-ah!" I clenched my eyes shut, wiggling in my confines.

He stroked a finger between my legs and when he discovered the moisture that left his digit glistening, he chuckled. "I guess we'll both be having fun, tonight." He slipped the finger into his mouth. "You taste as delicious as I imagined."

I whimpered and turned my head away. I was ashamed at my body's reaction. I didn't want this and he wasn't my Kyle, but I couldn't stop him even if I tried. What if he somehow managed to destroy whatever is left of Kyle's consciousness? Was that something that could happen? Should I have thought of it before I made the deal?

The regret was already piling on. I had been far too impulsive.

"Look at me." He turned my chin to face him. "I want to watch as I enter you." And then, when my eyes snapped open, he did just that.

The familiarity of the sensation confused me. I knew it shouldn't feel as good as it did, but I couldn't suppress the moan from escaping. "Kyle…" I murmured, arching my back.

I had been trying to keep myself from doing anything inappropriate because of his state of mind. I didn't want to exploit him in any way, but… I never realised how much I needed this.

He shifted my hip before settling into a comfortable rhythm. "That's it, Madi."

 _In. Out. In. Out._

"Oh, God… Kyle!"

I tugged furiously at the bindings as he slammed in, fully sheathing himself inside me.

This wasn't right. I shouldn't be reacting like this. Where had all my self control gone? I was better than this. I shouldn't just be reduced to the point between my legs. I couldn't be so easily swayed.

Hadn't I fought off that attacker? I could… I could…

My entire body seized up and I let out a loud cry of pleasure. He rapidly thrust into me before slamming down one last time with a loud groan.

My lips trembled when I felt the hot liquid burn inside me. What had I done? I was cheating on Kyle. There had to have been something else I could do for him.

Something.

 _Anything_.

As I began to drift off from exhaustion, I felt my bindings come loose. Two arms wrapped around me, pulling my back against his toned chest. "Sleep, Madi."

That night, there had been no nightmares. I still saw those red eyes staring at me from the darkness, but it was as if the same heart-stopping fear was lacking. They weren't so intimidating anymore.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered, knowing full well that he wasn't going to reply.

…

"You don't remember who killed you?"

Madison Montgomery was brought in front of the council to be questioned. She touched her neck where a black scarf was hiding the fading scar. "No, I told you that already. Can I go, now?"

"Oh, leave the girl alone." Fiona rolled her eyes in irritation. "She already said that she doesn't know. We're just wasting our time asking the same questions over and over, again."

The council of three all shared a look. They must've all suspected the same thing, but with inadequate proof, no one could do anything about it.

The only person who could help was unwilling to speak up, or rather, he couldn't. There was, however, no effort to express his thoughts either.

Spalding was a very odd man. I heard that he had been serving Fiona's family for a very long time and I also noticed a sick obsession he had with her. It wasn't apparent when he was performing his duties, but when he thought that no one was watching, I could see how his eyes tended to gravitate towards her.

True, Fiona Goode, despite her age, was still very beautiful woman, but it didn't stop me from shuddering at the thought. Spalding really creep me out and Fiona just had an untouchable aura around her.

I sighed, shaking my thoughts away. Their drama was really the least of my worries, right now. My eyes slid over to where Madison was inching towards Kyle with a smirk on her face. Her unhealthily pale pallor really didn't take away from her beauty.

It if had been Kyle, I really didn't have to worry about anything, but this new spirit was unpredictable. What if Madison had the wrong idea and actually thought _Kyle_ was interested in her?

My blood boiled as she draped herself in his lap. Her arms were wrapped around his neck in a seductive manner and he made no attempts to get away.

In fact, he seemed to be revelling in all the attention. How disgusting…

"What's going on with you and your brother?" Nan whispered, hoping for some juicy news.

I frowned. "Absolutely nothing," I hissed back, unable to take my eyes off the pair.

"It's really a miracle that he's all better now, isn't it?" Madison turned her head towards me. "He went from being a bumbling fool to knowing how to appreciate a real woman. I think it's an improvement if you asked me." No one asked her. "I think death must've finally knocked some sense into him. You really have to thank me for that." She seemed to be thinking a lot more after death. I wondered if it was hurting her half-decayed brain.

I clenched my hands. She was really getting on my nerves. All I wanted to do was rip that smug look off her face and – Zoe let out a shriek when the window beside her shattered.

Before anyone could say anything, I had gotten up and stormed off.

It was a mistake coming here.

…

Kyle could only watch as his Madi ran to her room and cried into her pillow. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and wipe those tears away.

As he was now, he was useless.

"This is like watching a TV drama," the strange girl, Nan, giggled to him. She was the only one who could see him.

Sometimes, she'd say thing that would make him flush in horror. And more than once, he wished that he could block their naked bodies from her visions, but it was something that he'd have to live with… Other than those awkward moments, her company was quite nice.

"Take care of her for me," he told her, staring at his trembling sister.

Nan grinned.

Kyle laid beside her, wishing that he could tell her that he still loved her and that he was going to be back, soon.

It was difficult re-entering his body when it kept rejecting him. Whenever he tried to do or say anything, it'd come out wrong. He felt like such a fool. If it went on, he was afraid that Madi wouldn't love him anymore – not when he was like an overgrown toddler.

The demon said it'd help him and he agreed. He didn't know that the demon would do things like this to hurt her. This was never part of the deal. What had he really gotten himself into?

…

I sighed, unbuttoning my coat as I made my way to my room. Kyle had decided to stay home today. It was a little stressful leaving him here, but at least having the demon in control, I didn't have to worry about his safety… right? It was pretty ironic.

Most of the time, he was in our room, probably scheming something nefarious. I really wanted nothing to do with them.

"Lily, do you want some tea?" Cordelia called out from the kitchen.

I froze in my step before walking back downstairs. "Peppermint?"

"Of course." She smiled, reaching over to the bunny mug and the box of my favourite tea. One thing I noticed was that she hated being coddled. She'd admonish anyone who'd try to help her and a couple of times, I could hear her yelling furiously.

Suddenly, loud thumps upstairs made me look up. "What was that?"

With my tea in hand, I hurried upstairs and realised that it was coming from my room. What was going on in there? Was it Kyle? Was he alright?

I turned the doorknob and pulled the door open.

My eyes widened in shock as I stared at the scene in front of me. "K-Kyle…?"

The mug had slipped from my hand. I couldn't even feel the scolding liquid as it trailed down my arm and leg. Was I seeing things clearly?

"Close the door! Do you make a habit of watching people make out? I mean, if you want to join, come in, but if you don't, _fuck off!"_ Madison's lipstick was smeared. Half of it was on Kyle's face.

The puffy pink lips twisted into a smirk as he leered at me. I tried desperately to differentiate the two. This wasn't Kyle. I knew this wasn't Kyle, but the pain was agonising, nonetheless. It felt as if someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart.

"Madi…" How could he still utter my name like that – with another woman in our bed?

Unable to handle the sight any longer, the dam of tears burst and I ran out. I ran and ran, down the house, out the door, through the black iron gates, and across the street.

Or I thought I made it across the street.

All around me was suddenly an enclosed ball of pain that was pressing tightly against me.

"Oh, my God!" I heard the scream and turned slowly at the bright headlights glaring back at me. "Oh, my God! Are you okay?"

Another voice joined her. This one was warm and familiar.

"I didn't mean to hit her!" the woman cried. "She came out of nowhere in front of my car. I tried to stop, but it was too late. I didn't mean to do it! I swear! I'm so sorry!"

I clenched my eyes closed as the noise was giving me a terrible headache. "C-Cor…"

She dropped down on to her knees in front of me. "You'll be okay, Madison Lily." Her voice was comforting and made me smile. "We won't let you go." She leaned down and set a lopsided kiss on my forehead before she blindly pushed away the locks of hair that stuck to my face.

By the way her hands trembled, I knew that it was bad. I tried to keep my eyes open, but her face was blurred and I couldn't feel my limbs anymore. Everywhere around me was cold.

"Kyle…?" I whispered, my eyes were fluttering close.

I was so tired.

Before I drifted off, I saw him hovering over me, crying. His red-rimmed eyes were so full of sadness. All I wanted to do was pull him into my arms and hold him forever.

"…Kyle…"

 _I love you._

 _"_ _ **MADI!**_ _"_

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Poor Madi… I really can't give her any breaks, even during the holidays. And I hope none of you hate me for the scene with Madison Montgomery! It'll get better soon, I promise!

I also hope the chapter wasn't too confusing. There was a lot of stitching involved because of the way I had initially written it in my notebook. If there are any questions, please feel free to ask me.

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** , and **Lily** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Happy New Year! Unfortunately, Madi really isn't doing much better than Kyle, right now. I'm still sick, right now, but getting a lot better!

 **Guest** : Thank you for reviewing! Have a Happy New Year!

 **Lily** : Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Oops! I'll probably end up going over it all, one day. The plot with the demon might be a little slow, but I have so much planned for it! Have a very Happy New Year!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, continue to leave reviews. It's really motivating me to keep writing this series!


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

Kyle wanted to kill his own body when he saw the two rolling around on his and Madi's bed. Even though it wasn't him doing it exactly, he still felt disgusting and dirty. He didn't like Madison Montgomery. In fact, he hated how the other woman – who was so different from his own Madi – could even share the same name as her.

"God, damn it!" He kicked the bed, feeling his feet go through the foamy mattress. It was such a peculiar feeling. It felt as if his feet had sank into the foam and he could feel everything, but nothing moved. Did the cells of his feet fuse with the objects that he goes through?

"Let's fuck," Madison purred, tugging eagerly at the other Kyle's plaid shirt. "You were pretty hot before, but then you went brain-dead. I like the new you, though. Very sexy. Very naughty."

The demon chuckled, roaming his hand down her body before stopping at the hands that were still working on his shirt. "You're a quick fuck girl, aren't you? An easy lay."

"Shut up and fuck me."

Kyle's ears twitched when he heard the doorknob turn and his heart immediately dropped. This was never anything he wanted her to see.

Madi gaped at the two figures desecrating their bed. Her teary eyes showed how heartbroken and devastated she was.

Kyle instinctively walked over to her and tried to hold her in his arms. Her warmth comforted him, but he knew she couldn't feel the same.

When she turned on her heels and ran off, he desperately shouted after her, catching Nan's attention as he followed after his sister.

He never wanted to see her run from him. _Never_.

But she ran and ran, and then…

 _Screeeeech!_

 _Thud!_

A loud scream rang through the air, but it wasn't his Madi.

No… No… It was as if his nightmares had finally come true.

He had never told anyone of them before, but since he met her, he had repeated nightmares of her dying. It scared him as a child and he'd cling to her as long as he could, hoping that that would keep her longer with him. As he grew older, he dismissed them as his greatest fear peeking through.

What still nagged him was how his nightmares would always cycle through the different ways she'd die.

This was never one of them.

He knelt by her head, crying. Her hooded eyes settled on him before fluttering closed and he knew his own life had ended there.

…

Life for Kyle had been but a distant dream. He floated around with no intentions of ever claiming his body, again. It was pointless. What use did he have of the stupid thing, now?

…

It clenched its jaws as Madison rubbed herself again him. "Come on. Let's not let her ruin the mood."

Madi wasn't supposed to be home so early. Granted, he hadn't factored in the difference of her walking back home alone, which would take less time than when they spoke and it teased her every minute of the way back.

"Go away. I'm done." He ran his hand through his messy curls in frustration. Things hadn't gone as planned.

True, he wanted her to feel the heart-shattering pain, but it hadn't brought him the satisfaction that he expected. In fact, it was the opposite. He felt _wretched_.

"What?" Madison gaped at him. "What do you mean, go away? I didn't come all the way here, get naked, only to be brushed off like some whore!"

She clung on like a koala. "Come on, Kyle. You're the only one who can make me feel anything. Only you can understand because – "

"A whore? A whore would have more self-respect than you," he hissed. "Now, _go away_." His eyes gleamed red, shocking the blonde into silence. "If you refuse, I can show you something worse than this façade of a life that you have."

With that, she scrambled away, scooping up her clothes as she left.

He sighed before leaving as well. The musky scent of lust unfulfilled was brining a bad taste to his mouth.

As he reached the lower floor, he froze. The sudden dread pulled viciously at him. He hadn't felt anything so strongly for such a long time. It made his borrow heart thud painfully against his chest. " _Madi!_ "

He ran out of the house and saw the others were already there, standing about a bleeding form.

The transparent form of Kyle – invisible to everyone else – was kneeling by her still body.

This wasn't what he wanted to happen. His plans were going all wrong! She wasn't allowed to die, now. He still had uses for her!

He tugged at the curls in frustration. With a rough push, everyone parted for him. "Madi!"

Her eyes were half-hooded. The pool of blood spread across the pavement, soaking into his jeans. His fingers graced the soft, pale neck, but he already knew that he would find nothing. Her glassy eyes told him everything he had to know.

He looked around. She was nowhere to be seen. Was she still in there?

"Let's just do CPR!" Zoe suggested as sirens could be heard speeding towards them. "We won't' be able to help her if she's gone for too long and I don't think she'd want to wake up frozen in the morgue."

Kyle trailed his fingers past her collarbone and rested upon the swell of her left breast.

She was _his_. She was going to listen to whatever he wanted and he still needed her _alive_.

A spark jolted into her body and she let out a breathless gasp. Her chest rose and fell quickly before she fell limp once more, but she was alive. That was a close one. Had her spirit left already, he would've had to resort to something more drastic.

He leaned back, seeing Kyle staring at him with hatred burning in his eyes.

…

 _I felt as if I was trapped in a ball of pain that was quickly expanding, pressing harder and harder against me. It had blossomed from my core and spread until I could handle it no more._

 _My dark world was bursting with colourful specks of pain that left me feeling nauseated._

 _Was I dead?_

… _Kyle…?_

 _Would he know that I was here or were we still in different planes because he had been brought back?_

 _I really missed him._

 _KYLE?!_

 _Was I going to be separated from him even in death?_

 _I curled up into a ball, holding myself and imagined him embracing me. I missed him. I missed him so, so much._

 _The demon had ruined everything. Why had I agreed to let it use his body? Surely, someone else could've helped him. Why hadn't I just tried harder? Would he hate me for what I had done?_

 _Now, I couldn't stop picturing him and Madison Montgomery in our bed – Kyle and mine. I should've been able to separate the two entities in my head, but sometimes, the spirit was very good at tricking me._

 _He'd shower me with affection like Kyle used to before cruelly reminding me that he wasn't actually there._

 _It loved to leave me confused with my feelings. At times, I thought it could actually work out. I could accept this demon and even feel amiably towards it for Kyle's sake._

 _Of course, It had no actual intentions to keep any of its words. It said it would never hurt me, but it had done the one thing that could've truly broken me. Kyle was my everything. To use his likeness against me like that… It was despicable._

 _How much did that demon hate me, to do something like that…? I had given it everything I could – my body… my soul… even a part of my heart, but it wasn't enough in the end, was it?_

 _I threw my head back and laughed. I had been such a fool. What had it all been for? I should've known better. I made a deal with the Devil and thought I'd come out on top? What an idiot…_

 _I floated around in the darkness, wallowing in my own self-pity._

 _"My child…"_

 _I looked over to the side to see something other than the all-consuming darkness. It was a pale, regal woman. She had a gentle smile as she hovered near me._

 _"Who are you?" I asked._

 _Was she death? Was I finally going to be taken away?_

 _"My poor dear…" She held her hand towards me and it was then that I noticed the dark, feathered wings stretched behind her. "Take my hand. I can fix this for you. You do not have to be part of its games any longer."_

 _I instinctively reached over to her, but stopped when I remembered that that was how I had gotten into this mess in the first place. I was impulsive and didn't think of the consequences._

 _"I can't…" I whispered back to her. "I have to wait for him." Yes, I was going to wait for Kyle, first, even if it took me decades and he no longer loved me._

 _"Remember that you will always have a choice," she said before fading away as if she had never been there._

 _I was alone, again…_

 _"Kyle, I'm sorry," I sobbed, clenching my eyes shut. HE was stuck with the demonic spirit because of me. If he didn't hate m –_

 _ **"Look at me!"**_

I was jerked painfully back into reality and stared at burning crimson eyes. "I am not done with you, yet. How _dare_ you think you can escape me?!"

" _Young man!"_

I was dropped back on to the hard mattress. My heart was racing with the beeps to my left and the pain in my body was finally registering.

"What do you think you're doing to the poor girl?!" the nurse harped, cuffing the back of his head. She quickly turned to me and checked all the wounds that I didn't know were there. "If I see you abuse her, again, I will have you in the slammer!"

Once she was done with her procedure, she huffed away without another word.

"W-what do you want?" My voice cracked. I was too tired to care, now. "Haven't y-you done enough?" I refused to let the tears fall.

He sat back down on the bed, narrowing his eyes at me. His cold fingers brushed against my swollen cheeks. "You've always been so weak."

I pursed my lips and looked away. "Do you really think that's what I want? I – I've tried to be strong for him. I'd give absolutely anything for him to be happy, b-but… it never goes right!"

I took in a shaky breath. "Aren't _you_ happy, now? Or did you come here to finish the job?"

He tilted his head. "You haven't been listening, have you? You're more valuable to me alive than dead."

"I-I don't understand…" I whimpered, pathetically. "I don't understand why any of this is happening…"

He looked so frustrated as he tugged his hair. Instead of speaking, we ended up falling into an awkward silence.

"Do you… really like her…?" I finally whispered, my insecurities quickly bleeding through

His head tilted to the side. "Her? The little slut?" The smirk spread across the angelic face. 'She's fun, but too loose." He leaned in. "I'm sure you're much better in bed."

"Shouldn't you already know?" I hissed in indignation. "You've already had _me_."

"Yes, but I haven't had _her_. I'm not sure I Ever want to even go there." He slipped his finger under my blanket and gripped my upper thigh, causing me to wince. "I'm always willing to have another go here, though – refresh my memories. I believe old age hasn't done well with my memories."

I tried to push him away, but felt my injuries stretch and a sharp pain made me fall back limp. I couldn't remember how I even ended up here. Had I fallen down the stairs? The last thing I remember was that disgusting scene of those two together on our bed.

The thought brought an ache to my heart all over again. I wished that I could forget that, too.

"Please, leave me alone…" I whispered. My eyes were closed for fear of him seeing the tears that were sure to spill out at any second.

Without another word, I felt the bed shift and then… he was gone.

For my next few days at the hospital, I didn't catch a glimpse of him. My regulars were Cordelia, Nana, and Zoe. They kept me company while the loneliness nagged at the corners of my mind.

It didn't feel right without him. Somehow, even the demon posing as Kyle had somehow dulled away the sadness, but every thought always led to that day in my room, now.

When I finally returned to the manor, Nan helped me with the wheel chair and I received a half-hearted welcome back. She stopped in front of the grand staircase. We stared at the obstacle in wonder.

"Alright, she's back. Go on." I heard the irritated voice of Fiona call out.

Kyle immediately appeared, running excitedly over to me like a puppy. "Madi!"

I held him close, breathing in his familiar scent. "I missed you," I murmured.

"Missed. Madi." He held on tighter. "Missed. Madi. Love."

He gently lifted me into his arms and carried me up the steps while Nan folded up my wheelchair and brought it to my room.

"Love you." He kissed me as we were settled on the soft bed.

I tried desperately to get the images out of the way. All I could do was cling on to him and cry.

…

Kyle sighed, nuzzling her hair. He hated seeing her cry, especially when he didn't know how to help her. He knew it was because of what they had done. What _he_ had indirectly agreed to.

Flexing his fingers, he wanted to hate himself and the demon for what happened, but this was the most human he had felt in such a long time. "Love…"

She hadn't said much and he was afraid that she no longer felt the same way towards him. The very thought made his already aching heart ache even more.

When she snuggled closer against him, however, some of the worry alleviated, but he knew that it would never be the same again. He couldn't blame her for seeing him differently. He should never have let it use his body.

What had it all been for? He was still a clumsy idiot who couldn't even string together a full sentence.

The next few days rolled by at an agonising pace. Not only was Madi completely clammed up, he had to deal with the diva's persistent advances. No matter how adamantly he tried to express his disinterest, it was as if that one time had her completely attached to him. He had been sure that the demon had frightened her off that day, but he was sorely mistaken. Was he some novelty that she wanted to try?

Just the mere thought that the demon could allow such a woman near his body was enough for him to lose whatever faith and respect he had for it.

"Go 'way," he grumbled, scrambling away from the blonde before Zoe appeared with her arms crossed.

"I don't think he's interested," she told her.

Madison rolled her eyes. "What do you know? You don't see us together before or you would've seen just how interested he was."

"Come on, Kyle." Zoe pulled on his hand. 'I'm going to show you how to work my laptop. You can listen to some of the lessons I've downloaded for you."

He looked helplessly at Madi who was on her wheelchair by the window. He had felt her gaze on him, but as soon as he returned it, she had looked away.

Forlornly, he stood up and left with Zoe, but he didn't want her. He wanted his Madi. He wanted to hold her and love her. He wanted her to know that he would always be hers.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

I'm sorry! Things will look up… Eventually… Hopefully before any of you start hating me?

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, NameWithNoMeaning, SeleneMoon21, PorcelainPuppetLady, GayMexicanBatman** , guests ( **Guest** and **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Haha! My year is not too bad, right now. This cough has been lingering, but it's not unbearable. I've started my 52 books in 52 weeks challenge, again (I failed last year when I stopped in September at 38…), but I've gotten 5 books down already, this year! I just need to make sure I don't burn myself out reading too much too early! How about you? Anything interested happening or planned?

 **NameWithNoMeaning** : 2016 started horribly when David Bowie and Alan Rickman passed away. I'm just really hoping things like that aren't going to happen anytime soon, again (knock on wood)!

 **SeleneMoon21** : Haha! More you shall get!

 **PorcelainPuppetLady** : If Madi ever came to life… She'd hate me…

 **Guest** : Thank you!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I feel like Nan likes to just watch everything go to Hell and maybe interfere when she needs to for people she care about. Other than that… Nan will be Nan. And now Nan looks weird to me because I've typed it up too many times…

 **GayMexicanBatman** : Haha! And this story needs you to keep it alive‼

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

I'm also looking for book/book series recommendations! I prefer something with romance + one of the following: mystery, darkness, plot, adventure. Nothing too Mary Sue, such as main character being extremely special and over powered. Thank you so much in advance!


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

All the days were blending together. I had received several acceptance letters already to a variety of colleges, but I couldn't bring myself to reply to any of them.

I had seen how well Zoe and Kyle were getting along. I wanted nothing more than to shout and forbid him from ever seeing her again, but I couldn't. I knew I was growing too possessive and it was my fault for pushing him away. I hated myself for being unable to move on from that incident despite knowing that it hadn't been my Kyle.

"You know, he really misses you," Nan told me, munching on her bagel. "He doesn't like Zoe like that. He really doesn't like Zoe much at all, actually. He hasn't quite forgiven her for what happened with the bus. I wouldn't forgive her either if she killed me."

That was news to me. I never really thought of what Kyle must've felt regarding Zoe and Madison.

I looked down at my lap. "I don't know what to do. I love him so much, but… it _hurts_ every time I look at him."

"Man… I wish that my relationship with Luke could only be something like that," she said, wistfully. "I wouldn't ever stop him from having sex with me though. He'd have trouble keeping my hands off _him_!"

"How have it been?" She had been secretly seeing the neighbour for the better of a month, now, and each time, she looked so happy coming back.

"It's been great, but I hate his mother. She's horrible. Good thing she's not the one I'll be marrying." She grinned.

"Marriage? Already?" My own eyes were twinkling with amusement. I had never really thought of that. In fact, I didn't think it was legal for Kyle and I to get legally married – at least, not anywhere here.

"Well, we haven't talked about it, but I've seen his thoughts about doing other stuff." Stuffing the last of her bagel into her mouth, she continued,. "I think we're going to do it soon, so I won't have to watch you guys, anymore – not like there's anything to watch, right now. I'd hate to be Kyle when you're in a mood like this."

One thing I loved about Nan was how frank she was. There were no malicious intent. It was as if she merely said anything that came to mind.

Her eyes shifted to a point just beyond my shoulders and I turned to see Kyle looking around. He was alone and appeared to be lost. When our eyes met, his face immediately lit up and he hurried over, but slowed down as a sudden sadness seemed to wash over him.

It broke my heart seeing him this way. Why was I punishing him for something he had no control over?

I had been a horrible person…

"Kyle…" The moment I whispered his name, his lips began to tremble. I spun my chair around and held out my arms.

In a split second, he was clinging on to me, crying., "Madi!" he wailed and I instantly felt the overwhelming guilt. I never wanted to hurt him. "Love you… Don't go…"

"I'm sorry, K-Kyle." My voice cracked. "I'm so sorry."

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Nan shamelessly watching us. That was alright. Everything was alright, now.

"What the Hell are those?!" we suddenly heard the maid cry in horror.

I wheeled over to the window to see dark figures limping towards the house. Who were they? Why were they here?

"Oh, my God! That's Luke!" Nan shouted, pointing at the male who was approaching the forms, looking to be trying to defend us. She quickly went after him.

I continued to observe as they all seemed to stop moving at the same time. What was going on?

"Kyle, be careful." I had a really bad feeling about this. "Don't go near them."

He leaned over and nodded, rubbing his cheek against mine.

I kissed him. "GO upstairs and wait for me. I'll be right there."

He frowned and fervently shook his head. It wasn't until he realised how serious I was did he begin to slowly make his way up. His steps were slow and hesitant and his eyes remained on me the entire time.

I made my way to the door when I was sure that he was safely out of the way. I had caught a glimpse of one of their faces. Needless to say, they looked as if they had been dead for decades and only thread-thin remnants of flesh kept them together.

"Nan, come back," I called to her, but she refused to leave Luke by himself.

Zoe zoomed by with a chainsaw. It was a very impressive sight until it ran out of juice and she tripped over her own feet. That was… less impressive.

I narrowed my eyes and directed a garden gnome straight through one of their heads. It was much softer than I anticipated, but it seemed like my assumptions were correct. They were already long dead and someone had reanimated them, but why were they here? Did someone have a grudge on the Coven?

I quickly decapitated several more before turning my attention to where Zoe had hidden herself. The old shack wasn't going to hold.

Spotting the forgotten chainsaw, I levitated it upright and revved it up, catching the attention of the stragglers. One by one, they fell headless, leaving splatters of blood to decorate the once-pristine lawn.

It wasn't long before dawn came to illuminate the horrors that was left behind.

Someone clapping behind me caught my attention and I looked back to see Fiona leaning against the stair banister with a lazy smirk on her face. "Well done. Couldn't have done it better myself. Must be that voodoo bitch, again."

"Is this something I should be concerned with?" If this was going to be a common occurrence, nothing was going to make me stay here where Kyle could so easily be ripped away from me, again.

Nan clung tightly on to Luke who looked as if he was going to pass out. "It's okay. Lily's got it." She grinned at me.

I nodded my head back.

"Is everyone alright?" Cordelia gasped, coming back from the kitchen where I assumed the back had also been swarmed.

I sighed and wheeled to the base of the stairs where I saw Kyle had clearly and unremorsefully disobeyed me. "Come help me?"

Nan had always been the one to help me up and down the stairs when I had been childishly ignoring him, but she was taking care of Luke.

Seeing my returned affection for him, he gladly wrapped his arms around me and carried me up the stairs while I levitated the wheelchair. I still felt bad for what I had done to him, especially with how forgiving he had been.

I stared at the chair that was lagging behind us. It was odd… I was able to influence almost anything with my magic, except myself. Was this something common?

"You've been bad, Kyle," I muttered, tiredly, as he set me on the bed where he took his place beside me. "I only want you to be safe. If anything happened to you…"

"Sorry…" he mumbled back, half-heartedly. He kissed my forehead as he, too, began to doze off.

I sighed. Everyone was already forgiven.

My sleep that night was dreamless. No glowing red eyes or dark angels visited me. In fact, the demon remained missing for the next few days.

During that time, it was not peace and quiet at the Coven. Fiona somehow managed to pin Cordelia's attack on one of the council member: Myrtle.

The redhead was baffled how quickly the other two council members had turned on her.

I had watched from afar as they burned her on a stake. With the way witches treated other witches, it was no wonder that everyone else treated us like we were demons. No wonder their first thoughts would be to burn us on a stake, as well. It was savage.

As witches were suspicious against witches, Queenie had disappeared shortly after the undead had attacked. I heard mentions of a "voodoo bitch," but that was probably all from Fiona.

To be honest, it was no lost for me. Queenie had always rubbed me the wrong way. She was vulgar and quick tempered, but then again, I didn't particularly like anyone in general. Cordelia was the only one who didn't seem to have any ulterior motives.

I fell back on to my bed, my head landing in his lap as he smiled down at me. "Madi, tired?"

"Just a little," I admitted, but it was great being able to get rid of the clunky wheelchair. Other than the painful limp, I didn't feel so bad.

He leaned down for a kiss and I happily raised my head to meet him half way. The kisses tend to lead to something more. Since his long stay, I had stopped lying to myself and eagerly complied to all his carnal desires. It was a lot less work and a lot more fun.

"Hey, Lily! Is Kyle in there with you?"

I clenched my eyes shut and buried my face into the pillows as Kyle continued to relentlessly thrust in and out. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the visitor just outside our door.

"Lily, you there?"

Kyle raised my hip, aiming deep inside, bumping into my cervix.

Maybe if I didn't reply, she'd think I was away.

"Lily?!"

I muffled my moans and tried to form a coherent thought to Nan. I was in no mood to deal with Zoe when Kyle was behind me like this.

 _Nan,_ _please?_

There was a moment of silence as I continued to plead for her. Eventually, I heard her from outside. "Hey, Zoe. Want a cookie?" she asked.

"Wait, I think I hear them inside," Zoe protested.

"Kyle… Kyle…" I bumped my hip against him, causing him to half collapse on top of me.

He groaned and pressed himself close against my back, slowly grinding his hip against mine.

I turned and repositioned us so that we were facing each other and I covered his lips with my own, silencing the noises that was keeping Zoe sniffing at our door.

Eventually, she walked away with Nan and I let her hear my grateful, " _Thanks."_

Once they were out of ear shot, I grinned naughtily at Kyle who was relieved to finally be able to have his release.

I snuggled against him. This was what everyday should be like. Except, that was an impossible dream.

This Voodoo Queen turned out to be more trouble than anyone really expected. Queenie had gone off with her and came back even more obnoxious than before.

I kept away from her and sometimes had a double date with Nan and Luke. Luke really was a sweetheart. He was patient and caring. I could see how much they already liked each other.

"Come on, let's go on the slide!" Nan laughed, pulling Luke along with her.

Kyle and I settled on the swings as the breeze whirled around us. It was calm and peaceful. This was how life should be – no undeads storming the manor, other women stealing my Kyle, evil spirits stealing my Kyle's _body…_

This was the life…

I turned to him and saw him staring thoughtfully into the distance. Every day, he was getting better. I didn't know whether it was the spirit actually keeping a bit of its words, Zoe's spontaneous lessons with him that I hated, or just his mind slowly beginning to repair itself, but I was glad.

My hand reached over to him and he clenched it in his hands, swinging it back and forth.

"Would you be sad if we ever left here for somewhere much further away?" I asked. It was partly rhetorical because I never expected a reply to something even I wasn't too sure about.

He shook his head. "Anywhere with Madi."

I smiled. "Anywhere…" Somewhere safe… Somewhere where we could start over.

Suddenly, I let out a shriek when someone pulled on the chains and I was flying in a chaotic pendulum. Nan's laughter quickly followed and I couldn't help but join in.

"Nan! Stop!" I kicked my feet around, only making things worse. "Kyle, help!"

It was useless, he was laughing just as hard as everyone else.

 _Bang!_

I felt the bullet whiz by through my hair. Strands fluttered down around me and I quickly jumped down from my seat to see two men with shotguns pointed towards us.

Their eyes were dark with hatred, but a twisted smirk transformed their faces into something even more sinister.

"Nan! Go! Go!" I shouted, grabbing Kyle's hand and running as quickly as we could.

"You won't be able to hide from us, witches!" one of them sneered, firing another shot that buried itself into a nearby tree.

These people were absolutely insane! Were they witch hunters? How had they found us?

"Come back here! Fuckin' abominations!" They continued to curse as we weaved through the streets in hopes to lose them.

Nan and I ended up splitting up, but I wasn't about to let Kyle go by himself.

We ran until a dead end met us and I looked around helplessly, while he continued his taunts. "Well, well… Nowhere to run, now, witchling!"

"Let us go," I tried. I had to try. "We're not here to hurt anyone."

He sneered back. "No? That poor boy that you have enthralled would probably think differently after he's been freed by your devil magic." He raised his gun at me. "Say goodnight, witch!"

I clenched my fists and let out a deep breath. With a wave of my hand, the gun flew from his grasp, but not before it backfired and a loud _Bang!_ Rang through the alley. Blood was splattered across the lane and I let out a startled scream.

I hadn't meant for that to happen. I was only going to disarm him… "Oh, my God… Oh, my God…" I whispered in horror, my eyes wide.

As he laid twitching on the filthy pavement, already bathing in his own blood, Kyle pulled me into his arms and walked slowly towards him.

"Devil magic, you say?" His voice brought cold chills down my spine, but his warm embrace kept me clinging helplessly to him. "I believe you're right. You _will be_ witnessing some of that, today."

I felt the air around us heat up and an almost inhuman shriek pierced through the air. I could _feel_ his agony pulse until it finally died down and everything fell silent, once more.

"Come on." He easily lifted me into his arms and as he walked out of the alley, I caught a glimpse of the black streak that was left behind and shuddered.

It wasn't until now did I realise how easily the demon could end our lives. Why it was laying these games, I didn't know. To me, it could have anything it want with a snap of its borrowed fingers. Why make these deals?

…

That night, it took me over and over again on our bed. As we came together, I swore that I had caught a glimpse of Kyle before he collapsed on top of me with a sigh.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry for missing last week! This cold/flu really isn't leaving me alone. It had gotten so, so much worse that last week. I had spent most of that time in bed, missing work and life in general. Every part of me ached. I had a fever, cough, sniffles. I'm _still_ coughing now and sniffling. It's just dreadful!

Enough of that, I've finally moved along with the canon plot a little. I noticed that I probably haven't been following it very closely in terms of the timeline. I kind of insert it in wherever I see fit. I really don't recall the exact orders of everything and I apologise if that really bothers you.

Thank you dekusdante and guest (anonymouscsifan) for reviewing!

anonymouscsifan: You'll just have to see what I do with the demon and Shachath! I completely agree about Madison Montgomery. I want to just kill her off permanently, but I really can't let me hatred do that to my story. Teehee… Nan is great!

dekusdante: Thank you so much for reviewing‼

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

I've also made a Twitter account just to update you if I decide to not update this story because of emergencies or me being sick (which seems to be the theme of 2017). I'm completely rubbish with social media, so don't expect any regular posts on there. It's just a way for me to communicate with you guys without making an "Author's Note" chapter, which I don't really like in the middle of stories.

To see the page, it's Twitter website (which they won't let me post) (slash) EchoSerenade. If you have any trouble finding it, please feel free to ask me. I believe it's also on my profile, now.

If anyone has a better way of spontaneous communication, please feel free to tell me!


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"Kyle, stop it! We're here!" I giggled, pushing his face away before opening the door.

What greeted me was a warm hug and a wide smile. "Madison, you're back! Welcome home!" I stared as Misty Day twirled around and hummed to Stevie Nicks. "Well, come on! Join me!"

When I was still too dumbfounded to move, she waltz over and pulled me away, twirling us around and around. At her happy demeanor, a wide smile spread across my own face.

Suddenly left alone, Kyle quickly joined us and we all joined hands, spinning around like children playing Ring-Around-The Rosie. Eventually, he tripped on his feet and we all came tumbling over. We all laughed.

I turned my head to see her beaming at me. "How did you end up here?"

She told me of the hunters at the swamps. They had broke into her home with guns and she had only just managed to escape. I was glad that she was here. After hearing that hunters had raided her home in the swamps, it was probably best that we grouped together.

Not long after her arrival, she also brought back Myrtle who stayed with us, but held a deep grudge for Fiona – as she should – and also for the other council members. I never saw the other two again, but I wasn't exactly going to miss them.

Not long after, I bumped into more of those witch hunters and that day hadn't been the last time I would have them on my tail, but I learned to adapt. I never took the same route consecutively and I always kept my phone somewhere within reach.

There were several close calls that made my heart race and blood pound in my ears, but for the most part, I'd escape unscathed.

The demon hadn't appeared after that night even when the hunters appeared. I didn't know whether that was a onetime thing or Kyle was strong enough to keep it at bay. When Kyle was with me, I made sure that he was suck close as we ran for it.

Whenever I returned home with battle wounds, Misty would slap on one of her concoctions that made them disappear overnight.

"Get out!" I suddenly heard Cordelia scream.

I turned the corner and saw a face I had only seen a few times before – Cordelia's fiancé… husband? I wasn't sure exactly of their relationship, but something had happened that left Cordelia heartbroken, lately.

As he shuffled his feet out the door, something fell out of his cardboard box and I picked it up in wonder. It was a beautiful music box that I figured was a present he had given to her. I stroked a finger along the intricate markings. "Wait! You dropped this!"

He turned, startled, and I finally saw the deep sadness in his eyes. "Thank you." His voice cracked and I noted how he was fighting back tears. "Goodbye, Lily."

Something about that seemed so… frail… And I never knew that he knew my name!

I quickly ran to the window and peeked out as he threw everything carelessly into his car before thumping his head repeatedly on the steering wheel. It was only then did I see the tears glitter through the dirty windshield.

Looking around, I noticed that everyone was doing their own thing, completely oblivious to what had just happened only a few minutes ago.

I turned to Nan who was measuring out ingredients for her cupcakes. She was really trying to fatten up, Luke, wasn't she? "I'll be right back."

She nodded without even looking up and I headed for the door.

His head was still smashed against the steering wheel as I slipped into the passenger seat. The door opening and closing made him jump and he stared at me with wide eyes. "How did you get in?" he asked as if I had done something nefarious and mind-blowing.

I blinked back at him. "Your car door was unlocked."

That made him relax and he ran his large hand down his face, rubbing off the tears, but his eyes remained puffy and red. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just wondering how you knew me name. I don't think I've ever spoken to you before," I told him, making a light conversation in hopes to calm him down.

"Cordelia speaks about you a lot," he whispered. He looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. "Why are you really here?"

I looked towards the manor to see the curtains to Cordelia's room shift around in a slow halting dance. "I wanted to know what happened. Cordelia's been very kind to me and whatever you did really hurt her."

"Well, I'm leaving, now. She kicked me out. That should solve all her problems," he growled.

"No." I shook my head. "You leaving may solve some of her problems, but that doesn't mean she'll stop hurting," I told him. "What was so bad that she had you leave?"

He stared at me for a moment before letting out a tormented sigh. "She… saw me with another woman. I don't' know how she did it, but I… I love her. I love Cordelia," he sobbed. The way he ran his hand frustratingly through his hair reminded of me Kyle. "I never meant to hurt her, but… I _had_ to." He kicked his car. "You wouldn't understand."

"No, I don't," I replied. "I don't understand why you thought you _had_ to hurt her or cheat on her. There's _always_ a choice. The problem is making the right one." I bit my lips. "I know what it's like to see the one I love with another woman. I know how much it hurts and continue hurting long after it's all been said and done and usually, I would never go back to a cheater, but… tell me your reason – convince me why you're situation is different. Tell me why you felt so obligated to do something that you knew would hurt her."

Why was I trying so hard to reel him back in? This really wasn't any of my business. Was I trying to find closure for myself? Kyle had no choice of what had occurred, but I guess I wasn't against listening to Hank speak his piece. Maybe it was how genuinely his eyes portrayed his emotions when he thought he was alone. Surely, he wasn't faking it?

"I can't." He shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

I crossed my arms. "Try me. I may be young, but I've seen a lot. I've experienced a lot. Nothing will surprise me, n – "

"I'm a witch hunter," he blurted out.

I froze. My very instinct was telling me to get the Hell out of there. "W-what…?" Was this all a trap, after all? Did Cordelia know? Was that the real reason why had kicked him out? "Does that mean that you were only with Cordelia to… to hurt us – to kill us?"

"Yes! I mean… No! I mean… _FUCK_!" He hit himself in the head. "Fuck… I mean… I _love_ Cordelia, but I was born to a witch hunter family and raised as a witch hunter. That's all I've ever known. That was the only reason I cheated on her… Not like that sounds any better…"

"No, it doesn't," I agreed, but I understood him better and I could tell that he loved Cordelia despite his upbringing. How long had he been fighting with himself? "But I think you'll have to choose. Who's more important to you? Who do you think is in the right. _WHY_ are you killing witches?"

"I don't know… I don't know… _I don't know!_ " he moaned in despair.

"Hank… I don't hate you," I told him. "And… if you want to talk or see how Cordelia is doing, call me, okay?" I quickly scribbled down my number and slid it across the dashboard.

When I entered my room, I immediately embraced a surprised Kyle. "I love you," I whispered. "I'll always love you." I sank into his arms, listening to his heartbeat rhythmically thump against my ear. How could I have ignored him for so long?

He sighed, happily. "Madi, love, too."

…

For the next few days, I had heard nothing from Hank. I wondered if he had given up on ever getting back together with Cordelia or he truly never cared about her. At the end of the week, however, I received a call from an unknown caller. All I heard was heavy breathing and I nearly brushed it off as a prank call, until I heard the sob that couldn't be suppressed on the other end.

"Hank?" I asked. A bad feeling wiggled around at the bottom of my stomach. "Hank, is that you? Are you alright?"

He spoke nothing.

"Where are you? Do you need help?" And then… a very familiar sound of a gun cocking met my ear. My blood ran cold. "Hank, what are you doing?" I strained my ears for more clues of his whereabouts and what he was doing. "Come on, you call me for a reason! And I'm going to be that angel on your shoulder telling you to _STOP_ whatever it is you're planning to do!"

I paced restlessly, waiting for him to reply.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered. It was a wisp of a sound that barely made it through the speakers. "Tell her I'm sorry… Tell her I love her and I never meant to hurt her. T-tell her…"

"Tell her yourself! Come here and tell her yourself!" I shouted, urging him to stop whatever it is he was planning to do. Panic was already starting to set in. I didn't know how to stop this…

"No, I'm… I'm going to try to redeem myself. I'm tired of being controlled by everyone!" With that, the line went dead.

"Hank!" I gripped my phone tightly and clenched my eyes, hoping with everything I had that I could help him – that I could stop the madness that was running rampant in his head.

And suddenly…

I was no longer in my room.

I was sitting in an empty car in my nightie, but I had no time to contemplate about public decency as I recognised the interior of his car. He must've just been here. His phone was still sitting in the driver's seat.

I could still stop this!

I ran out of the car, ignoring all the odd looks I was receiving as I looked around, wondering where he had gone. I was unfamiliar with the street and stores, but one name stood out to me: Cornrow City. I had heard Fiona vehemently spit out that name before.

I flung the glass door open and saw him standing in the middle of the studio. His gun was pointed at a hairdresser who was whimpering and begging for her life. All around us were screams of terror and people cowering.

As he was about to fire the first shot, I tackled him down and the two of us fell on to the plush carpet, but not before the gun had gone off and glass shattered all around us.

I let out a startled cry while he twisted his body to cover me.

"Madi?!" Kyle was the first to arrive. He ran in and quickly pulled Hank off me. He threw the other man so hard that Hank ended up hitting the opposite wall. _That_ was new.

"It's okay! I'm okay!" I held him back as he looked ready for murder. "Shh… I'm okay, Kyle." Somehow, I had teleported us back into my room. My poor window, now, laid in pieces.

Next, came Cordelia. She shouted my name and I quickly pacified her, as well.

"…Cordelia…?" Hank whispered as if mystified that she was really in front of him.

"Hank? What are you doing here? What have you done to my girl?" Cordelia gasped. "Didn't I make it clear that you're no longer welcome here?!"

"I…"

Finally, Nan stopped – no, _skipped_ – in with a teasing grin on her face. "Aren't you finally going to tell her?"

That seemed to be enough for him to snap out of his stupour. "I'm sorry, Cordelia. Please, I love you so much. I'll do anything for you to take me back. I'll tell you about my father and the other witch hunters. I'll kill anyone you want me to. _Please_ , I – "

"Stop!" she shouted, cutting him off. "Hank, stop. I… There's too much happening, right now. What are you even doing in Lily's room? What did you shoot. _Why_ do you even have a gun with you?"

She stumbled beside him and gripped his wrist tightly.

Since losing her ability to see, she had gained The Sight, which seemed to allow her to see into a person's past when she made skin to skin contact.

What she saw made her eyes tear up. "Oh, Hank… Why?"

"I was going to get rid of them for you. They were the ones to hire the witch hunters to hurt your… your girls." His eyes slide over to me. "I don't know how she found me, but… I'm glad I got to see you."

I leaned into Kyle who placed a kiss at the crown of my head. "Madi, okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay," I whispered back. In fact, I was more than okay. Sure, I had lost my window pane and possibly some of my hearing, but I had a feeling that something good would finally happen in the Coven.

"Come, let's leave her room. We will talk in my office." It was clear that she wanted this to be private as she practically dragged him along with her and he obediently followed with a relieved look on his face.

I smiled, waving my hand and the shards of glass dropped into the bin.

 _Dink. Dink. Dink._

"How did Cordelia feel about seeing him, again?" I asked Nan who beamed back.

"Good!"

"Tell me if they decide to get back together, okay?"

She snickered and plopped down in front of us. "I can tell you something else, too. Your brother wants me gone so he can do bad things to you."

My eyes widened and I felt my face heat up like a volcano. "Nan! Go away!"

"Oh, I guess you want that, too." Cackling, she darted out just as I had flung a pillow at her.

Needless to say, when we were alone with the door tightly shut and locked, Kyle and I hurriedly got going with exactly what she was talking about.

We didn't leave our room until the next morning and when I went down for breakfast, Hank was sitting at the table with a piece of toast and a cup of coffee in front of him.

I sat down and smiled.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He raised his eyebrow at me.

"I'm trying to curse you with my mind," I jokingly replied.

He rolled his eyes and took a long sip. "Thank you, Lily. I probably would've been killed by them that day – or arrested for terrorism – if you hadn't stopped me. It must be handy being able to do that."

I shrugged. "I've never been able to do it before. And when I tried again earlier on, it didn't work, so I think it was only a onetime thing. I hope you're happy that I had to use it on you," I grumbled half-heartedly. To be honest, I was really happy that he was alright. Hank felt like an older brother – a proper one, not one that I couldn't stop imagining naked in the showers. No, if that ever happened, I was going to gouge my eyes out and join Cordelia… not in that way…

"So…?" I swirled the tea in my bunny mug. "How did it go with Cordelia? You're still here, so that's good, right?"

He shrugged, running his hand through his hair. "I'm on a… trial period or something. I think she still has feelings for me, though, but Fiona… Well, she never liked me." He deadpanned.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. I don't think she really likes a lot of people in general," I told him, recalling all the dirty looks I had received from her. Oddly enough, however, she had taken a liking towards Kyle. Several times, I had spotted them playing _card_. It was possibly one of the most ridiculous sights.

Of course, I had walked out immediately after and chalked it all off as a hallucination after spending too much time with Nan. I wasn't about to risk anymore of my sanity trying to figure that one out.

…

"Lily! Lily!" The eccentric girl burst into my room. "Luke, isn't answering my phone!"

I was draped lazily around Kyle who was playing with my hair. "What do you mean, Nan?"

"He _always_ answers my calls!" She can over to the window to peer at the neighbour's house. "His mom probably did something weird to him. I know it! I know it, Lily!"

I untangled myself from Kyle and peered over her shoulder. It _was_ a little unusual for his bedroom light to be off at this time. "Have you gone over?"

Nan gave me an incredulous look. "His mom _hates_ me. That's why I always call first."

I took her hand and pulled her along. "I'll be back, Kyle!" I blew him a kiss and he caught it like the cheeky monkey he had slowly become before dramatically falling over in a dead faint. "We're going to go find him." If Luke was my Kyle, there was no way I was going to idly sit by while he was missing.

We approached the residence that felt even more intimidating than the manor full of witches. It was no secret how much Luke's mother hated us. Even if Madison Montgomery hadn't tried to burn their house down, I was sure that she still would've held some undeserved grudge against us.

There was just something about her presence that made the hair at the back of my neck rise.

"Luke!" Nan whispered loudly towards his window.

Nothing.

I waved my hand and the window slid open. "Relax your body, Nan. I'm going to get you up there, but be careful."

She did a wiggle dance before nodding at me. I slowly levitated her up and into the window as I looked around for another entrance for myself.

I walked around and spotted a window by the stairs.

Now that I had more time to really look around, I noticed all the normal things that adorned the walls – portraits and paintings. Everything looked picture perfect. It was almost like being in a dollhouse – something set up by a person trying to live a make belief life. It was eerie.

I crept up the stairs and looked for Nan.

I pressed my ear against each door before peering inside. A lot of the rooms had clear plastic sheets thrown atop of the furniture. Look, but don't touch.

"Nan? Luke?" I quietly called out.

There was a moment of silence before someone called back out to me. "Lily, in here!"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Seems like I'm getting less and less reviews every chapter… If you guys don't like the direction this story is going, I'd be glad to know how I could do better or take in suggestions for where the story should go.

Anyway! I never really thought much about Hank at first, but during his last couple of episodes, especially his last stand, I felt like he was someone I could work with in the story. I really hated and loved the way he died in the canon plot. I think he had finally tried to break away from what he had been taught all his life for the woman he loved. Because of this, I had Madi bond and save his life!

I've also decided to skip the part about Cordelia gaining her real vision back because my focus really isn't on her, so I thought I'd be able to just get away with leaving her blind, for now.

Thank you guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing! Doesn't seem like things will get much better for her any time soon… Unless you guys want a bit of a buffer in between. I might be able to manage that.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please, leave a review if you've enjoyed the chapter! It'll really make my day. Thanks!


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Nan had found Luke tied up in the bathtub. He was shivering violently in the icy water. She looked frantic as she tried to pull him out.

I waved over a large towel and helped her.

"Luke! Luke!" Nan smoothed his hair away from his face. "Wake up!" She pat his cheeks until his eyes fluttered open and he looked dazedly at her.

"N-Nan…?" His teeth was chattering uncontrollably.

I stood back as Nan held him, trying to warm him up as best as she could. Luke sank into her embrace, while I looked around. Even the bathroom was pristine, but seeing Luke like this, it was obvious he hadn't done this to himself. "What happened?" I asked, watching Nan finally free him from the ropes that left angry red and purple marks around his wrists and ankles.

"Can you help him?" Nan looked at me with wide eyes, the worry was still all over her face.

I knelt in front of him. "Hold him. This might hurt." Might was an understatement.

I hovered my hand over his wound and tried to ignore the pained grunts that Luke was trying to suppress. When I was done, the wound was completely knitted over without even a scar. "So? What happened?" I asked, again.

He looked down. "She found out about Nan and I. She thought I was being enslaved by her… witchcraft, so mom thought this would "free" me from her."

I narrowed my eyes. What medieval era did she think she lived in? Who would do this to their own son? Or was I the naïve one to think that normal mothers loved their children unconditionally? So far, all I've seen were mothers who would sexually, verbally, and physically abuse their children.

What if I was going to grow up just like them?

The image of a small child with Kyle's likeness flashed in my mind. I could never hurt my own children. _Never_.

"Come live with us. She won't' be able to hurt you there," Ban offered, tightly clutching on to him.

He looked hopeful for only a moment before shaking his head. "I don't think I'll be welcomed there. That lady doesn't seem to like me much." That _lady_ was most likely Fiona, but that was typical of her.

Hank had already made his place there and despite Fiona's obvious disdain for him, Cordelia was adamant about her decision. He somehow managed to justify his importance to their safety. Surely, we'd be able to do the same with Luke and it didn't have to be permanent. He just needed to find a place of his own, away from his mother.

"We can always ask Cordelia," I told them. "There's no harm in asking, but he can't stay here. Your mother could wind up killing you – whether on purpose or by accident.

Luke still appeared reluctant. "She's my mother. S-she wouldn't really do anything to… kill me or anything?" Despite this, he didn't seem to believe his own words.

"We'll decide later. Unless you want to tie yourself back up and go back into the bathtub, it's probably best if you went with us." At least until she calmed down enough not to off him on the spot.

Reluctantly, he got off the cold tiles and went to look for clothes.

"Pack a few sets," I shouted, pacing in the half while Nan helped him. The mother might be returning at any moment. I was worried that she was going to completely blow things out of proportion.

My thoughts continued to race as I felt that familiar anxiety creep in. "Hurry up!" Blood was rushing to my head. I couldn't' keep still even if I wanted to. I needed to go back to my safe haven. I hated it here. It gave me very bad vibes. I had to get out. _Get out!_

I jumped when I heard the front door open and slam back closed. "Nan! Luke! She's back! We're leaving from the window!" I hissed at them.

Unfortunately, she was headed straight up to the bathroom, which was situated right across from his room. I heard the exclamation of shock, followed by anger, and quickly made my was to the window, only to realise that there were bars caging us in. "What is _this_?"

"To keep burglars out," he replied, seemingly oblivious.

"Your room is the only one with these! Haven't you ever wondered?!" I shook my head in disbelief. "We have to go, _now_!"

"Luke, where are you?" came her voice. It was eerily calm, considering the outburst earlier. "Luke, if you don't get here right now, mother is going to be very upset with you and you know you won't like it when I'm upset."

We never had a chance to even hide before the door burst open. Her eyes were wide – psychotic, even – as a smirk spread across her face. "There you are. You have been a _very_ bad boy. Go to the bathroom while I deal with these two."

"Mom - !"

" _ **GO!**_ " she shried.

He looked torn as he looked between his girlfriend and mother. Nan was clinging to his arm. Her body was tensed as if she was ready to defend him if needed. One look at her and he made his decision. "No, I love her, mom! It's not some stupid spell or anything. I really love her!"

Her composure quickly shattered. She bared her teeth at us like a feral animal. "It is all a trick. Don't you see, Luke? They're already pitting you against me – your own mother. Look!"

"We haven't done anything lady!" Nan argued. "You're the one who tied him up in a tub!"

"To get rid of your claws on my son!" she screamed back.

"You're absolutely delusional." I shook my head. "We've done nothing to him and you know it. You're just unable to accept that there is someone else in his life, now. "

"Come on, Luke. Let's go." Nan pulled him out the door, brushing by the enraged mother who quickly caught his wrist in a bruising grasp.

"You're not taking him anywhere!"

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Luke had become the rope of a vicious tug o' war and he looked as if he was about to break.

"That's enough!" I waved my hand the they both flew to opposite walls. "Luke can do whatever he likes. He's an _adult_." As I kept them both pinned, I allowed him to choose his own course.

He looked at the two before grabbing his bag and walked away.

I sighed, letting the two women go. "He's decided. If you don't let him go, he'll never come back. Let him know you trust him to make his own decisions."

She was slumped against the walls with her head in her hands. I gave her one last look before taking Nan with me and followed Luke to the staircase where he was waiting for us with sad eyes.

"Bye, mom." His quiet voice carried down the dark corridor.

Nan took his other hand and the two descended down the steps.

Suddenly, I felt the air around me shift and I nearly tumbled over by the sheer force. Shocked, I was unable to stop the vase from making contact with the back of his head.

As he crumpled and rolled down the rest of the steps, he took Nan with him.

I watched in horror when he remained motionless no matter how hard Nan cried and called to him. Blood was already seeping into the once-perfect carpet.

"I told you… He's. Not. _LEAVING_!" His mother loomed over behind me, but her eyes were fixated on the broken couple and the base of the staircase.

She flew backwards into a storage closet with a surprised shriek. I pushed a decorative end table against the door and cursed myself for not doing this sooner. I could've prevented all of this from happening.

"Is he alright?" I lightly brushed his hair back to look at the wound.

"Please, help him. _Please_ ," Nan sobbed. "He can't die!"

"I – I'll try." I had never tried healing something so severe. The only time was with Cordelia's eyes and look at how that turned out… It also wasn't a life and death situation.

"Lily…"

"Okay. Just… let me concentrate." I shakily held my hand over the wound and focused on the spot that was still pouring blood. The only blessing was that he was already unconscious and wouldn't be feeling the excruciating pain that would be sure to follow. I wouldn't be able to ensure his safety if he squirmed around and my magic hit an uninjured spot. My powers were far too volatile.

Eventually, the blood stopped flowing, but he remained motionless. "I don't know what else to do, Nan," I told her in despair. "He probably has internal bleeding or some other form of brain damage. We have to bring him to the hospital."

She looked at me with teary eyes before nodding.

…

I waited in the sterilised lobby with Nan who had fallen completely silent after answering a slew of questions from the nurse. I wondered if she had complete control of her mind reading powers or if all the voices were bother her here. It couldn't possibly be pleasant in the hospital. There was so much death and sadness.

"For Luke Ramsey?"

Nan sprung up, looking anxiously at the doctor.

"Are you his wife?" The doctor looked her up and down before scrunching up his nose in a way that made me glare at him. How dare this stranger judge her?

"No, but – "

"Are any of his family members here?"

"I – "

"His father is dead and his mother is… unwell," I told him. The irritation was evident in my voice, but I couldn't tell if he even noticed.

All he did was absentmindedly nod back and looked down at his charts. Eventually, he decided that we were allowed to see him. He led us into a spacious room with several empty beds. In the middle was a dreary sight. His motionless form was hooked up to half a dozen machines that were keeping him alive.

Nan immediately ran over to him, sobbing as she gently stroked his face. "Luke… I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, again. I – " Suddenly, she stopped and seemed to be staring across from her. "Luke…"

The doctor shot her one last look, shook his head, and left. Good riddance…

I took a step towards Nan and frowned, wondering if she was possibly seeing his… spirit? Was that how she had spoken with Kyle? How powerful was she? At first, I thought she could only read minds; now, it seemed that she could also see ghosts – or was that only just people who were not quite dead, yet?

Spotting a chair, I sat down and waited. I wanted to be there for her, but I also didn't want to interrupt her moment. Seeing them converse in such an otherworldly manner, I wondered if she would be okay with it if he remained comatose. The brain was such a fickle thing. I've heard how difficult it was to fix it because there was so much more we didn't understand.

"I love you, Luke."

How could something so good be so easily taken away?

I recalled seeing him coming out of the bus, again. What if… What if we killed Luke and brought him back? Would that fix him? Would it be ethically wrong? This new world was so different. I couldn't make out what was right and what was wrong, anymore.

Eventually, Nan finished her conversation and she looked much better. "I'll talk to you more, tomorrow, Luke!" She even managed to grin as she waved at the unseen presence.

I hoped that someone was really there and she hadn't finally lost it from all the trauma.

"I'm sorry, Nan," I whispered, but she smiled back at me.

"It's okay! You did your best. Besides, he'll get better. I know he will." I didn't know how she did it, but her optimism was gladly welcomed.

As promised, Nan returned every day to visit him. It seemed that his spirit couldn't travel far from the physical body, but neither of them minded. I went with them as often as I could, but I knew she didn't need me, now.

I peeked out my window when I heard the door to the neighbours' house slam shut. This was the first time since the incident that I had heard anything. At first, I thought it was because she was still trapped in the closet and almost – _almost -_ felt bad for what I had done, but when I saw her wandering aimlessly in the halls the following night, the guilt completely vanished.

The mother looked completely unhinged as she stomped out, speaking to nothing and went straight for her car.

Should I warn Nan? She was at the hospital. What if the mother was going there?

I called her cell phone. It rang and rang, but no one picked up. I quickly tried against after leaving her a semi-frantic voice message. Still nothing.

"Lily, are you trying to reach Nan?" Zoe had walked in with the pink cell phone in her hand. It was still ringing from my third attempt. "She forgot it in the kitchen."

I paled. "I'll be right back. I have to find Nan." I threw on my coat and raced out the door, spotting Kyle playing cards with Fiona. Kyle gave me a gleeful wave when he noticed me fly by, but I refused to stop for a delusion. Nope, that was not happening.

"Wait! What's going on? I heard Nan's boyfriend was in the hospital, but she didn't seem that upset. Why are we hurrying there, now?"

"Zoe." I stopped and looked at her. "I need you to drive me there. It'll take too long for the bus. _Please_. I just have a really bad feeling about it."

Seeing my panicked expression, she nodded and we sped down the streets. It didn't take us long to arrive at the hospital, but I knew that she must've gotten here first.

I went straight up to his shared room with Zoe in tow. When I opened the door, I expected bloodshed, or at least a shouting match. Instead, I saw two crying women. Not just crying, but crying _together_.

"See! Nothing's wrong!" Zoe exclaimed.

"I… You're right…" I continued to look at the middle-aged woman in wonder. This wasn't who I saw exit the house. This grieving mother wasn't the same woman who looked ready for murder. What was she playing at?

"See you, Joan!" Nan waved and received the same gesture back.

Joan?!

The mother nodded back with a watery smile.

As Nan walked by, she hooked her arms with Zoe and I.

"What was _that_?" I hissed, completely taken unaware with the new turn of events.

Joan and I have finally come to an understanding," Nan chirped.

I shook my head. "She was the one who did that to him. How could you even contemplate the notion that whatever she's doing is actually for his own good?" To say I was skeptical of _Joan's_ intentions was an understatement. "Nan, I don't trust her. I think she's planning something."

"Don't be silly, Lily," she laughed. "They only have each other. She thought she was doing the right thing, but she knows what she's done wrong, now. She said that it'll never happen, again. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

Assuming that was only the second time she's done something like that…

I bit my lips. "And had she ever told you what happened to Luke's father?" Had Luke been a child out of wedlock or had the man died early in his son's childhood?

Nan shrugged, but I saw the uncertainty slowly return to her eyes. "I'll ask, next time."

"I just want you to be careful."

She knew. Of course, she knew, but I was still worried for her.

Whenever she visited Luke for the next few days, I went with her, again. She spent her time happily conversing with him. Only once did Joan come in while we were there. Nan spoke with her as if they were best friends and the mother would politely reply back.

I still didn't trust her, but I felt better that Nan was not by herself and defenseless. As powerful as Nan was, her powers were neither defensive nor offensive. All she had was her mind and her words. Those wouldn't help if someone came at her with a knife.

"I have to go, now." Joan suddenly stood up and hurried away without another word.

"She's so weird," Nan said.

Indeed…

It was unnerving how her eyes were dark as coal and never changed even when she laughed.

It was unnerving how she tended to stare at her son, completely lost in thought as if she was scheming something.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry this came a day later than I intended! I had my birthday get together with friends and family and just never managed to get it up on time! The ironic thing is that today (February 7th) is actually my birthday and it's the only moment I have to post this!

I'm currently still contemplating what I should do with both Luke and Nan. They both died in the canon story and of course, I can change it, but should I? On one hand, I've already saved Hank and I don't want to make a habit of just keeping everyone alive. On the other hand, I don't want to copy everything from canon.

Anyway! Thank **you ThatOneGirlwiththeM, sailorsadness, Applejax XD** , and guests ( **anonymouscsifan, Guest** ) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : I'm glad you weren't expecting what happened with Hank! I like having some originality here and there. I do want Madi to be more proactive as well, but I also worried that she'll do too much and everything with be Mary Sue. Meep! I'm actually feeling much better, now! Just a little cough here and there.

 **anonymouscifan** : It's Valentine's Day in a week! Perfect opportunity for some fluff, yeah? I really hope you feel better, soon! It took me two months to recover from whatever virus this was (Got better and then got a LOT worse after). Hopefully it's not the same strain because that was brutal!

 **Guest** : Thank you so, so much! I hope you liked this chapter as well!

 **sailorsadness** : Sorry, periods between words with no space is apparently not allowed… Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter!

 **Applejax XD** : I really want to do something with Hank, but I haven't decided what, yet! Thank you for reviewing!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story. Next chapter may or may not land on Valentine's Day. Teehee!

Edit: Sorry! I accidentally uploaded twelve again, initially. All fixed now, I hope! Thank you **charityf1915** and **WickedlyMinx** for informing me!


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

"Yeah, yeah… She's home." I could practically hear Fiona's eyes roll as I took off my coat and turned just as a pair of arms wrapped around me and soft lips pressed against my own.

I instantly melted and let out a squeak of surprise when he pushed me against the door. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and I felt a very familiar bulge.

"Kyle!" I breathed. "Someone's going to see. We'll get in trouble!"

"I love you, Madi." His voice came out smooth, bringing nostalgic shivers down my body. "I love you so much."

I brushed his hair back to look at him more closely. His eyes were clearer than I had ever seen them. The confused haze seemed to have completely disappeared. "How did this happen?" Was it the demon or was it Kyle's own healing? Could it be that I was dreaming? If I was, I never wanted to wake up.

"Fiona," he replied. "She's been helping me while you've been at the hospital with Nan. She said it was because she wanted a good card player, but… it doesn't matter. I can finally be with you the way I've always longed to."

My lips began to tremble and I couldn't stop the tears from trickling down my face. "Kyle…" He was really my Kyle! "Am I dreaming? Please, tell me this isn't' a dream."

"It's not," he promised. "I'm here and I'll be staying. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore."

I pressed my lips against his over and over again until we were both panting for breath. "Let's get out of the entrance way before anyone sees."

I pulled my coat back on and we strolled down the street, our hands intertwined and swinging between us. I was happy to be somewhere where I could publically show my affection for him.

Had it been in our small town, it would've created a large enough scandal for them to probably burn us both alive. Everyone knew everyone else there and no one was shy in projecting their disdain. The city life was so different - even in the suburban area. No one was as absorbed with gossip amongst neighbours. Most were too busy managing their own careers and family.

"Let's go there!" I tugged him towards a pet shop and delightfully tapped on the large store window. The tiny black and white puppy hopped over and licked the glass. Its muted yelps made me coo back.

I had always wanted a puppy, but Alicia was supposedly allergic and I doubt that Fiona would allow one in the house, either.

I tilted my head to the side and watched as it did the same. Then, it slowly moved forward and bumped its wet nose against the glass.

With a wiggle of my fingers, the stuffed ball rolled over towards it, nudging the tiny body. Immediately, the puppy turned its attention towards the toy. It pawed and gnawed as I maneuvered it around the cage.

Kyle laid his chin on my head, chuckling as I seemed engrossed with the puppy play time.

It wasn't until the store owner walked over did I stop. The ball fell motionless and the puppy batted it in confusion and disappointment.

Seeing the glare I was receiving, I quickly wiped the window with my sleeve and flashed the middle-aged man a grin before skipping away.

"I really want a puppy, Kyle," I sighed happily as we continued down the shopping district.

I briefly glanced at the clothes and pastries displayed in colourful arrangements, but nothing kept me from thinking back to the ball of energy that was trapped in its tiny confines.

One day…

…

"Hey! That's mine!" I protested as he took a big bite out of my ice cream. "I hope you get a brain freeze!"

He grinned cheekily back at me before it quickly turned into a grimace.

"Ha!' I sneered triumphantly. "Serves you right!"

He looked down at his own half eaten cone and then at me. It only took me a second to realise what he intended to do, but that second was enough for him to raise his hand and smash the cold, sticky treat in my face.

I let out a startled shriek when the ice cream trailed down my face and dripped into my shirt. "Kyle!" I flung my own cone at him, but it had only grazed his cheek, leaving a smear from the corner of his lips to his cheekbone.

"That was for laughing at me." He pulled me close and licked my lips, humming with satisfaction. "You taste good," he murmured.

I pushed his face away and ran off before he could catch me, again.

We race through the playground like young children, laughing loudly and ignoring all the strange stares from onlookers. None of them mattered because this was the most fee we had ever felt, even before Kyle's death.

There was no one to tell us no and no one's opinion mattered anymore. They could take their judgmental words and stuff it where the sun doesn't shine.

"Witch!" I suddenly heard an angry snarl. Startled, I looked around, but saw no one. I turned and turned. "Kyle, did you hear that or have I finally lost it?"

"I heard it, too." He frowned before pointing towards an alley. "I think it came from there."

Of course… Where else could those witch hunters get away with murder? As I thought of what to do to them, I was already behind the stranger with the gun. It was the same type of shotgun as the one I saw frequently pointed at me – the one Hank had at the salon.

He was still unaware of Kyle and I standing behind him, but the young girl –perhaps half my age – immediately pleaded for help. Her small backpack was half off and her coat was dirtied by the rubbish strewn across the pavement. "Help!" she cried, muffled by her own tears.

The hunter twirled around, but I was quicker. The tall, buffed man flew into the air and hoverer precariously. His gun had fallen from his hands when he struggled futilely to free himself. "What are you doing?" he yelled. His body was moving like a puppet on strings.

"Stopping you from murdering a helpless child!" I rolled my eyes before kneeling in front of the girl. "Are you okay?"

She sniffed and nodded. "T-thank you."

Satisfied, I turned back to the hunter. "Where in your tiny, dim mind do you think it's okay to kill, or ever harm an innocent child?"

"Innocent? You are all abominations!" he screamed, waving his hands around as if he, too, had magical powers and could actually stop me.

I scoffed. Perhaps that was the real reason they wanted to get rid of us all. It wasn't that we were weird or _abominations_ , they were _jealous_. If they couldn't possess these powers, then no one could, right? How many people – witches and non-witches – have died without a cause because of this mindset?

"Do you have children?" I asked him.

He froze. "I won't let you hut them! I'm the one to blame. They don't know what I've been doing!"

So he was a family man. Was he someone like Hank who simply didn't know any better? "You love your family. Witches aren't necessarily bred by other witches," I told him. "Anyone could come into their powers at any time. Your children, how old are they – eight? Nine? Maybe as old as this girl here?" I saw his eyes slit over to the child who was clinging on to me. "What if they suddenly found out that they could do things no one else could? What then? Would you be so cold-hearted as to kill your old child? Is that the kind of father you want to be?"

He looked down. His struggles had completely ceased. "But… but wouldn't…"

"But they _could_!" I shouted. "You won't know until it happens! So would you? _Would you kill your own children?!"_

" **NO!** ," he roared back. "Of _course_ , I wouldn't! What kind of monster do you think I am?!"

"The kind of monster who would kill someone _else's_ daughter without a second thought. That's the kind of man you are now, but that doesn't mean you can't change," I reasoned. "Stop this madness."

When his body was completely limp in the air, I gently dropped him back down. "Go home to your family. Spend time with them. You'll never know if one day, they'll suddenly be ripped away from you."

Without another word, he had ran off, not even glancing at the gun he had left behind. Hopefully, that had helped him become a better man. It really wasn't until Hank did I realise how many of the witch hunters were good people who have been misled all their lives. It was a shame. They had so much conviction. Imagine I they focused it elsewhere.

I turned back to the girl. "How did he find out about you?" I gently asked her.

She looked guiltily down at her dirty shoes. "Mommy told me not to do it, but she wasn't here, so I thought I wouldn't get into trouble, but the bad man saw me using my powers to get my ball out of the tree."

I wished that she didn't have to hide who she was, but until this world could accept us, it was safer just to keep our abilities a secret. "Listen to your mother. She loves you, doesn't she?"

Her eyes immediately lit up and I Knew that she had been well taken care of. "Yeah! Mommy reeeeaaaally loves me. She'd read me a story at night and give me ice cream and chocolate when daddy's not looking!" So _that_ was where she had gotten her rebellious nature from.

"You know, we have a lot of people who are like you. We can help you with your powers." Or at least Cordelia could. I was still struggling myself. "Do you want to see?"

She contemplated for a moment before shaking her head fervently. "I just want my mommy!"

"Okay… Okay…" I tried to pacify her as it looked like she was about to start wailing, again "Let's get you back home."

I led her out of the alley and she shuffled her feet towards a pink house just several blocks away from where the incident had occurred. Had that man been stalking her? How long was he lurking around until he found her alone and defenseless? Was that how they catch witches?

The fresh air must've made her feel better because soon, she was chattering nonstop, even when the door opened and her mother embraced her.

I quietly explained what happened once she ushered her daughter into the living room where I heard several other children welcoming her back.

"Thank you so much," Marguerite hugged me. "I wouldn't know what to do if anything happened to Lucy."

"Keep a close eye on her," I urged. "There are some bad people out there who are not averse to harming young children because of their… beliefs."

After the mother thanked me profusely, I left with Kyle.

He hummed, happily, causing me to look curiously back at him. "What's gotten you in such a good mood?"

He tilted his head towards me with a lopsided grin. "You."

"Me…?"

"My own superhero." Without warning, he had an arm behind my knee and supported my back with the other before he raced down the street like a maniac.

"Kyle, what are you doing?!" I exclaimed, clinging on to him as I feared being dropped. "Put me down!"

He ignored me until we were through the iron gates. He dumped me on to the grass and promptly fell beside me, panting heavily.

"It's not good for you to lay down after running. The blood is going to rush into your head!"

Instead of getting up, he merely rolled over on top of me. His elbow trapping my head and his breath ruffling my hair. He smelled like ice cream. I knew that I was still sticky from our silly antics earlier. I was sure the remnants were also still on his cheek, so I leaned up and gave him a small lick.

He reeled back in shock and quickly wiped off my saliva. "Eww! Madi germs!" he teased. "Now IO have to give you my Kyle germs as revenge. Muahaha!"

We rolled around, doing stupid things until we heard the door open and we quickly pulled apart, trying to look as innocent as we could.

Madison Montgomery strutted out with her furs and sneered at us. It was obvious that she hadn't gotten over Kyle's rejection. There was a small part of me that felt bad for her. She was murdered by Fiona, hadn't gotten her justice, and then rejected by the best looking man in the world, but that was a small – miniscule – part that I quickly reasoned to be her own fault. Her overconfidence would always be her downfall because she never learned from her mistakes.

"Hello." She held her phone to her ears, her nose turned up as she walked past. "Oh, hey, Darren. Of course, I'll meet you at the café. Her over exaggerated laughter faded through the black gates.

I shook my head and placed it on his chest, feeling content when he began to run his hand through my hair. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Madi."

"For God's sake! Why are the two of you laying there like stupid children?"

I gasped, jolting up to see Fiona shouting at us from an open window. I could only stare in horror while she rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I don't know anything that goes on in the house?"

And then, she was gone.

What just happened? Had she really just said what I thought she said? Surely, not... How had she found out about us? We were as discreet as possible!  
Then, it occurred to me that she was the current supreme, which meant that she was all-powerful. It must've also meant that she had found out in a similar manner to Nan. With three of the residents already knowing about us, I wondered if it was okay to finally come out into the open. The only two who would be opposed were Zoe and Madison. Would it drastically change the living dynamics?

No, it wasn't worth it. I was done with teen drama. I had bigger things to worry about – like dying in the hands are trigger happy cultists. Besides, it wasn't as if we didn't spend most of our free time in our room, already. I was actually surprised that everyone hadn't figured it out by now.

Eventually, we returned into the manor and Misty threw rose petals at us. "Happy Valentine's Day!" she laughed. "I hope you've had a great day. I wonder if I'll ever find my own Prince Charming." She hummed, dancing to her own rhythm. "He'd have to like Stevie Nicks!"

I smiled. "I'm sure there's a perfect man just waiting for you out there, Misty." She was such a wonderful person that I really had no doubts of it.

We glided – no, actually, we tripped – up the stairs and into our bedroom where I waved my hand and made sure that no one was going to bother us for the rest of the night. It was just going to be Kyle and I and soon, there were no distinctions between the two of us.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you're having a great day! Chapter fourteen on February the fourteenth! I'm pretty rubbish at fluff, but this chapter is dedicated to **anonymouscsifan** for always being there for me and because… fluff! But I couldn't seem to manage a full chapter of it… But… I tried‼!

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** , guests ( **anonymouscsifan** and **A big fan** ) for reviewing! Also, thank you again **charityf191** 5 and **WickedlyMinx** for telling me about the chapter mix up!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : I completely understand what you mean and I have considered it. I guess you'll have to see what I'll do soon!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Thank you! I'm really sorry about your brother… Joan is definitely up to something! Here's your fluff. I hope it's more than what I usually do. Haha!

 **A big fan** : Here it is!


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

 _Blood splattered across the wall. I stumbled back in shock and looked at the blood pouring down the front of my shirt. I could only stare at the person, betrayal clearly on my face. Why?_

 _"W-Wh…?" I managed to gurgle, stumbling back until my back hit the wall where I slid down and slumped over. My body was already going cold from the blood loss. "Why…?"_

 _The knife was glistening with blood as he approached. Closer and closer. I clenched my eyes shut. This was it. This was how I was going to die._

 _No! No, not like this. Not by his hands. I couldn't just give up here. I had to hang on. I had to._

 _"Stop struggling. I'm really not having fun anymore," he sneered, twirling the knife in his hand. "You should've died a_ _ **long**_ _time ago."_

…

"Madi, what's that?"

"Hmm?" I looked at where Kyle was pointing at and didn't see anything in particular. When I turned back to question him, I saw him munching innocently on his pancakes.

That was when I noticed that half of my own breakfast had disappeared. "KYLE!" I whacked him and watched with satisfaction as he choked and downed his glass of orange juice. "Servers you right," I grumbled.

He grumbled back as Hank chuckled, taking a seat beside him. Since Spalding had mysteriously disappeared from the manor, there were only two men in the household, forming a quick brotherhood.

"How are you two?" he asked, pouring himself a glass of wine.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Isn't it a bit early for that? Did something happen?"

He shrugged, taking a large gulp. "Want some? It's aged nicely."

I shook my head. "Underage."

"Right…" He sighed. "Something _did_ happen yesterday, but I mean… I _think_ it was a good thing…" He babbled on without telling me anything.

"Hank!"

He cleared his throat. "I kissed her!" He looked at me expectantly as if I was going to yell and scold him, but all I did was blink, hoping that he'd continue on what was ailing him.

"So…?"

"So I kissed her!"

"And how did she react? Did she hit you? Kick you? Throw you across the room? Gouge your eyes out?"

"No, nothing like that…"

"Then what's the problem?" I was still confused why he was so depressed. "If she didn't' like it or if she didn't want you to do it anymore, I'm sure she would've told you. Did she kiss you back?" There was a bit of regret when I asked. This was quickly going into too much information zone.

"She did, but she also didn't say anything to me before she left. _That's_ why I was so confused," he exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes and stood up. "Boys…"

"What?"

Laughing, Kyle patted his shoulder and pulled my arm up the stairs. "Kyle, we _just_ got out of bed!" I hissed.

He shot me a mischievous grin. "So? Are you going to hit or kick me? Throw me across the room?"

I glared. How dare he use his own words against me? "You better behave or you may find yourself missing a very important limb."

He slammed the bedroom door shut and leaned down to my ear. "And you'll help heal me after."  
Before I could retort, he covered my lips with his. All thoughts disappeared when he threw me half way across the room, leaving me to bounce on the bed. Before I could gather myself, he flew after me with a beaming smile.

I stroked his face. "You're so weird. I'm glad to see you like this, again."

"It's great to be me, again. I'm sorry I gave the demon my body. I thought… I thought he'd be able to help me, so I wouldn't be such an idiot in front of you. I w as afraid that eventually, you'd stop loving me."

I froze. _He_ made a deal? No, _I_ had done that. I made the deal with the demon… hadn't I?

I thought back to our initial encounter. It was in my dream, or was that reality? What if the demon already had possession of Kyle's body at that point? What had everything I done been for? It played me like a fool!

Angry tears sprung out. I felt dirty. I felt so dirty for letting it touch me and betraying Kyle because there was a part of me that liked it. I had liked the way it touched me and how rough it could be. Now, I could feel nothing but deep disgust.

"Madi, I'm sorry!" Kyle looked horrified as I sobbed. "I know it was stupid. I'd understand if – "

"That's not it!" I shouted. 'It's not you… I – I've been such an idiot. I thought I would sacrifice myself to help you, but all I ended up doing was whore myself out. I'm nothing but a dirty harlot!" My head spun and I felt bile begin to rise up my throat.

And had Kyle seen it all? Had he been forced to watch as I allowed that thing to… to…

"Stop, Madi!" He pulled my hands away from my face and stared into my teary eyes. 'Stop, it's not your fault." He pulled me against him and held tight as I began to struggle. "It's mine. If I hadn't been stupid enough to even allow it to use my body, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much. I had refused the first few times and it wasn't able to take over, but when it promised me your safety and a quick solution, I couldn't help myself. When I saw you get hit by the car…" He stopped when his voice cracked. "I thought that that was it. There would be no point of me continuing to exist if you were gone. Everything that we had to go through would've been for nothing."

Even now… What _had_ it all been for? _Fiona_ was the one who helped him!

"It's okay," he whispered, gently wiping away the lingering tears. "We're both okay now. I'm not going to let it take over me, again."

I nodded, hoping that we were truly strong enough to fight t. What I still hadn't figured out, however, was why it had backed off so abruptly. It… It couldn't possibly be because of remorse? No, it didn't feel remorse. If it did, then it wouldn't have done all that in the first place. So why?

My head began to hurt as I continued to ponder, so I let it go. I was going to enjoy what I could before something else happened.

We cuddled that night, just rolling around and reminiscing. It wasn't until Nan's rapid knocking the next morning did we leave the room. Her eyes were twinkling brightly and I couldn't' disappoint her when she wanted to visit Luke.

"Maybe you could ask Fiona to help him, too!" she wistfully exclaimed.

I promised to give it a shot, but suggested that Kyle would most likely have more success.

"Luke, I'm here!" She strolled in and froze when she found Joan speaking quietly to her son. Tears were streaming down the other woman's face. "Maybe we should come back later."

I shook my head. "We can wait here. You have as much right to see him as she does – more so, even."

Nan nodded reluctantly and plopped down by the door. I joined her. We couldn't hear anything she was saying, but she looked like the perfect grieving mother. I didn't doubt that Joan did love her son, but I also didn't doubt that that darker side of her would do something she'd regret.

The mystery of Luke's father still tugged at me. Nan may have been hesitant to ask, but I had a suspicion that needed an answer. "Nan, be ready to read her," I whispered.

She looked at me with confusion before closing her eyes in concentration.

"Ms. Ramsey, he looks a lot like his father, doesn't he?" I stated, slowly making my way towards her. "You must be missing him. Raising Luke by yourself must've been hard – "

"You know nothing about hardship!" she hissed at me. "A young girl like you… What are you, fourteen."

I flushed in anger. "I've graduated high school, thank you. There is no need to be so demeaning. I – "

"You killed him," Nan whispered. "You killed his father! You knew he was allergic to bees, so you put one in his car. It killed him, but everyone thought it was just an accident…"

"I did no such thing!" she shrieked. "I loved him and he was seeing that skanky bitch!" I was the one who gave him a son. I doubt that skinny ass would've agreed to ruin her figure for him!"

"You saw that he was going to see her, again. That's why you killed him." Nan had a face that I had never seen on her before. She was usually so relaxed and happy. This was different.

"Liar! Liar! Liar!"

"What on Earth is going on here?" A nurse walked in with her arms crossed. "You are disturbing the patients. I have to ask you all to leave."

Joan stormed away, while I quickly apologised to the nurse. "Come on. I think it's clear what happened to his father. And I'm sure he knows now, too."

"He does," she replied, sadly. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Luke. I'll be back tomorrow. I missed you."

We walked out that day, too shaken up to realise what we had started. I always knew that that was the most likely circumstance, but I hadn't expected the heartbreak after.

The day after, Nan had started on her way to his room as she always did, but the receptionist stopped her. "W-what! I have some terrible news…"

Luke had died overnight. No one knew why, but they suspected that I was because of the head trauma.

Nan shook her head in disbelief as I followed her up. When she found that his bed was empty, she collapsed on to the floor, crying. I knelt beside her and pulled her into my arms.

No, I didn't believe that Luke had mysteriously died. He was murdered by a very talented murderess who wasn't going to get away with it this time.

"Come on, Nan. Cordelia can help us. We just need to find his body. You always said you wanted to be like Kyle and I. We can bring him back properly," I whispered, gently helping her back to her feet.

With renewed determination, we first asked the hospital if they knew what had become of the body. It seemed that it had been released to the mother.

We bussed back and rushed to her house. The doorbell rand and rang, but no one answered. I walked around the perimeter and noted how all the windows were barred, now.

"What are we going to do? I can't live without him!" she sniffed.

"Don't worry. We'll fix this," I told her. "Stand back."

I pulled a bobby pin out of my hair and began to carefully pick the lock. I poked around until a soft click met my ears. I turned the doorknob and flung it open, only for it to be met with additional resistance. I shook my head. The chain easily slid off on its own and we walked in. 'Joan! I know you're in here."

Nan looked around, while I walked up the stairs.

Suddenly, I heard movement behind me. The door slammed close and she let out a petrified scream. "Let me out! This is my home! You're both trespassing! I'll have you behind bars!"

I narrowed my eyes at her. Did she really think that getting the police involved wouldn't get her into trouble with the law?

"Where's Luke?" Nan barrelled over. "Where's his body? What did you do to him, you bitch?!"

Joan threw her head back and laughed. "I've already cremated him! I've seared away you're your satanic magic from my son's soul!"

We stared at her in shock. That was it, then. Without a body, we wouldn't be able to bring him back. Luke… He was gone for good. What was going to happen to Nan?

My friend screamed, throwing a lamp at the mother's head. It missed and fell into pieces in front of the door. "How could you?!"

I watched the agony my friend had to go through – agony that I was fully aware of. My hands shook and I felt my head being pounded in by a hammer. The pressure kept building and building until I could see nothing but white. My body felt as if it was on fire. I was burning so hot that I thought I was going to fall to ashes.

As inhuman shriek pierced through the room and suddenly, I was falling… falling…

…

Nan shielded her eyes when a bright white light emanated from her friend. It was as if the light had a physical shape. It pressed all around her. The air was heating up and she nearly fell over when a force flew right by her, sweeping her off her feet. She peeked open an eye when she heard a horrifying shriek leave Madi's mouth.

What was once a small, meek-looking girl was now a terrifying… creature. Markings snaked around her body. They were dark and looked demonic. It moved around as if it had a life of its own.

When Nan looked to where Joan had been, all she saw was a black scorch mark – a shadow of the person that once was.

No, Madi couldn't have done this. This wasn't her! "Lily, stop! Stop!" she screamed when she saw smoke weaving around her friend's hovering form.

White eyes with no pupils turned to her before they fluttered closed and Madi fell. Her body landed heavily on the burnt carpet, motionless.

She cried when she saw that Madi's hair was singed and it looked as if her hands were badly burnt, as well. She didn't know how to help her. If she was the one injured, Madi would've been able to do something. What was the use of being able to read minds if everyone around her was dead or dying?!

Quickly, she brushed her tears away. This wasn't helping anyone.

She ran back to the manor. She couldn't carry Madi herself, but she knew who would be able to help. She didn't know what just happened to her friend. All she knew was that she had just lost her soul mate and she wasn't going to lose her best friend, too.

"Kyle! Kyle!"

The curly-haired male popped his head out of the kitchen with a large chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. "Mm?"

"It's Lily!" That was all she needed to say before the cookie dropped and he was already out the door. 'In there!" She directed him into the house where they could immediately see the fallen figure.

Kyle was by her side in a moment. He called out her name and gently shook her. Eventually, her eyes began to open. "K-Kyle…?" She sounded lost and confused.

"Madi." He clutched her close as if he was afraid she would disappear at any moment. Nan looked away with envy. She missed Luke already. She still couldn't believe that his mother had cremated him so quickly. Now, there was no chance of him every coming back. She was never going to see him, again.

"What happened?" Kyle helped her to her feet as she swayed, looking as if she was going to fall back over any second.

Kyle was looking her over for any injuries and grimaced when he saw the burns. 'Don't know. Nan was frantic when she came to find me."

"You fell over after…" Nan looked over to the scorch mark and when she turned back to Madi, she could see the girl pale at the sight.

"Did I do that?" she whispered in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter," Kyle declared, taking Madi's hand. She winced. "Sorry." Instead, he wound his arm around her waist. 'We're getting out of here."

He was determined to protect her and he couldn't' believe how quickly he had failed that already. She stepped closer against him. This warmth was something he couldn't afford to lose.

When they returned, Misty was able to easily patch her up., Her hands were still red and Madi wasn't too happy about not being able to do anything herself, but at least she was alright. He also enjoyed teasing and coddling her. It was fun when she turned her nose up as if she could really stop him.

He just needed to find out what happened. According to Nan, his sister had exploded like a supernova and completely decimated the psychotic woman next door.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Yes, I killed him. It had been my initial intention, but then I got attached to him.

I know I'm glossing over and even skipping a few things. If there's a particular scene that you really want included in the story, please feel free to tell me and I'll try my best to implement it!

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** and guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I'm really ashamed to say that I have currently only watched the first three seasons and the most recent one. I'll get around to it all, eventually!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : Not as much cuteness in this one. Back to death and despair!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

I really need to start watching Freak Show, but once I start, I'll get attached to his character and I'd get consumed to thinking of ways to match him with Madi, instead. I need to finish this up with Kyle, first!


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Nan had gone missing. Zoe told me that she had probably gone out to mourn Luke's death, but she would've told me if that was the case. Something happened to her and I knew it. This was reminiscent to what happened with Madison Montgomery, but Nan hadn't been hanging out with Fiona prior to her disappearance, so what happened?

Was Fiona trying to kill all of us one by one?

Or perhaps I was thinking too much into this. There was actually no evidence that Fiona had killed Nan. I wasn't even sure that Nan was dead. Yes, I was merely jumping into conclusions.

"Boo!"

I jumped and twirled around to see Misty cackling at me. "Misty, don't do that!" I already felt as if I was in some horror movie, any sudden noises was bound to give me a minor heart attack. "What is it?"

Her expression sobered up and I had that terrible feeling at the bottom of my stomach. I had asked her to keep me informed on Nan's status. The first couple of days, there was nothing, but the way she was looking at me, now… "She's gone," she whispered as she looked sadly at me.

I swallowed, not wanting her to clarify because if she didn't say the name, I could still carry that doubt to my grave, but I couldn't do that to her. If something happened, I was going to avenge her. "Who? Who's gone, Misty?"

"Your friend – Nan. She was such a nice girl," she sighed, humming a sombre song.

"How?"

She shrugged. "I just know that she's no longer in this plane."

That didn't help me much. "Thanks for telling me."

"I'm really sorry, Madison." She gave me those sad eyes that made me look away. It wasn't her fault.

Even after hearing that Nan was gone from our resident death detector, I still expected her to pop up at any moment with a wide smile and twinkling eyes, but the manor remained silent. Only Kyle dared to approach me when I was in this mood.

I couldn't help but wonder if she had decided to take her own life or had someone truly murdered her. I knew how sad she had been after she lost Luke. No matter how hard she tried to pretend that everything was alright, I knew she wasn't.

If only I had pursued it harder. Would that have made a difference? Would I still have my best friend here with me if I had only been a little more tentative?

The last few days before she disappeared, she had acted like normal. There had been no signs, at all. I had to have faith in her. She wouldn't have done that to me or herself, so –

"Where are you going, Madison?" I froze and turned to see Fiona with a smirk on her face.

"Just to the park," I told her.

"Why don't I go with you? These old bones need some fresh air," she drawled.

"Well, I – "

"Get your shoes on girl. I don't have all day." She briskly walked out.

Needless to say, an alone trip to the park was neither going to be enjoyable nor alone. "Fiona, I know there's a reason you want to… _speak_ to me. Let`s not beat around the bush. We're beyond that," I told her. I didn't want to waste my time and _then_ die. I'd rather just die now and cut my losses.

"Stop being so cynical. Imagine when you're my age." She sat elegantly on the bench. Her entire attire was attracting attention from other spectators who were all in casual wear. "Cant' I just spend time with the children in my home?"

I narrowed my eyes. Was that really how Montgomery was lured into her death? For a diva, she must've really been craving attention if that was all it took. "Is there anything specific that you want to know?"

She gave me a sideways glance and engaged us in a conversation of meaningless chatter. It didn't help that I didn't agree with the way she spoke of her daughter. Cordelia was one of the kindest and most patient person I knew.

"Fiona there's no point continuing this. Thank you very much for what you did for Kyle. I really appreciate it, but I know what you've done and I know you're still planning to do. I'm not going to end up like them," I told her. Part of it was just fishing for information. Part of me was far too fed up with everything. We were also in a very public place. I doubt that she would do anything here, but I wasn't sure what would happen once I returned. The house was much too large for the amount of residents.

She huffed. "This is what I get for being nice."

We sat awkwardly in silence until the people began to thin out.

I stood up. "I hope you're happy with what you've accomplished," I said. "You should enjoy what you have before you die. The quality of life is far more important than quantity." With that, I left. I hurried home, slightly paranoid that I had been too bold and she would've made a tree suddenly fall on me – was that something she could do?

I jumped on to my bed with my face planted into the spongy mattress. The door opened shortly and a weight fell upon me. "Mmvy…!"

"Did you say something?" came the teasing voice.

I wiggled around before levitating a pillow to fend him off.

Kyle let out a yelp, rolled over, and promptly fell off the bed still trying to bat away the bag of fluff. "You're mean." He pouted when the pillow finally fell lifelessly on top of his head.

"Your fault." I stuck my tongue out at him. "You're heavy!" Seeing him always made me feel better.

He scrunched up his nose. "I need to go workout. When I came back, I felt like I had been asleep for years!"

I sighed, flopping back down. "Nah, you're still made of mostly muscle."

He crawled back up and propped himself up with his elbow. "What's wrong?"

"Everything… No, almost everything, but it's pretty close." My friends were dying one by one. "We can't stay here. It's not safe." I knew I had mentioned this many times before. Maybe it was me who was reluctant to leave.

"Where do you want to go?" He didn't seem too concerned and I took it as a good sign. It was definitely just me.

"I have an offer that I'm tempted to accept, but it's really far away."

This time, it was his turn to sigh. "I'm going to end up being a freeloading lump."

I snorted. "You can always finish up your college education. I'm sure there's _one_ school that will accept a brain dead oaf," I joked. He growled, pouncing on my back, again.

"I guess I have an excuse to do this then." His fingers poked into my sides and began to wiggle around.

"No!" I shrieked, trying to get away. I tried desperately to grasp on to a pillow, but my concentration kept dropping. "Stop!"

The torture continued until Misty pranced in and laughed. "Madison! Kyle! Come on down! Look who's been invited!"

Confused, I walked down with Kyle in tow. I heard a familiar song playing and stopped when I saw a blonde middle-aged woman singing and playing on the piano. "Is that…"

"Yes! Stevie Nicks!" she squealed.

The woman was unbelievably nice. She held true confidence and had nothing to overcompensate for, so the diva attitude that Madison Montgomery portrayed was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she took off her beautiful black shawl and wrapped it around Misty who looked as if she was going to pass out from excitement.

I smiled. It was good to have something happy happen at the manor. It had become such a dark and gloomy place after Nan… disappeared. I had really wanted to believe that she was still alive somewhere, or perhaps she was happy with Luke in the afterlife. Surely, there had to be one, right?

Misty twirled over, grabbed my hands, and began to swing us around. "I really like it here," she told me. "I'd stay here forever."

Forever… I couldn't. I wouldn't.

I was going to get out of here and make a name for myself. Kyle and I could start a business together – anything if it meant independence and getting out of this manor. I simply refused to die here.

…

"Madi?"

I turned away from the white clouds and smiled when Kyle laid down beside me. I shifted so that I was situated with my head on his chest. "I'm thinking that we should go in a few months before this place completely falls apart."

He hummed. "I'm going to miss some of them."

"I will, too," I agreed. I'd miss most of them, but I wasn't going to risk losing more than I was willing to give. I've lost a couple of friends already and I know I'll be able to move on from them. "But we have to."

He nodded.

There was just something I had to do first.

…

I wasn't surprised when Misty disappeared shortly, but when I saw Madison waltz in with a familiar black shawl wrapped around her tiny frame, I lost it.

I flew at her and felt my fist break her nose. Her surprised and pained wail was oh so satisfying. "Where is she?!"

"Wha' da fuck is wron' wit' you?!" she nasally slurred, blood dripping into her lips.

"Where is she?! You come in with her scarf and you think I'm going to believe that she just gave it to you?" OF course, not. Misty was obsessed with Stevie Nicks. There was no way she was ever going to give it up. Since she got it a week ago, she hadn't taken it off. If she ever showered, I wouldn't have even been surprised if it went under the water with her.

"Don' know wha' you're talkin' 'bout, ya crazy bitch!" She tried to shake me off, but I put all my weight into keeping her down. "Ge' off me!"

"Tell me where she is!" I screamed, again.

Suddenly, I was pulled off and I saw an angry Cordelia standing at the base of the stairs. Kyle was the one who was keeping me from killing the diva.

"What is going on here?" Cordelia demanded.

"Crazy bitch 'ttacked me!"

"She did something to Misty!" I argued. "She's always trying to steal what other people have!"

Cordelia glided over to us, her white cane moving side to side until it reached Madison's shoe. The other girl tried to get away, but Cordelia had her wrist in a tight grip. She let out a gasp and her pale-sightless eyes looked as if they were even further away.

When she came back, she closed her eyes. "I know where she is. Kyle, take her to her room. This has gone on for far too long in my household."

Madison was hauled to her feet and dragged up to her room where she was dumped unceremoniously on the carpet. Before she could get out, the door slammed shut,. No matter how she turned the doorknob and hit the door, it refused to relent.

"You can' do dis to me!" came her muffled scream. "I'm da fu'ure Supreme! I'll make you pay!"

Zoe stopped in front of us, looking warily at the door. "I don't think I want to know." But she went with us to the cemetery to look for our swamp princess. She was nowhere to be scene, but Cordelia was convinced that she was still here.

We walked around until an unburied casket caught our eyes. Kyle and I unhooked the clasps and when we opened the container, there she laid – looking very much like a sleeping princess.

"Misty!" I cried, gently shaking her shoulder. "I-Is she…?" She couldn't be… Surely she would come back. I vaguely recalled someone mentioning her name before and how she had burned on a stake, but she had come back then. She could come back this time, too. Wouldn't she…? "Misty…"

Cordelia lightly nudged me away and bent down. I turned to cry in Kyle's arms. "I don't want to lose anyone else," I mumbled.

"I know," he whispered. "She'll come back." But he didn't sound too sure.

We watched Cordelia whisper into the motionless woman's ear. The seconds ticked by agonisingly slowly. After an eternity, she remained lifeless. I was sure that we had lose her when suddenly, she let out a gasp and her eyes fluttered open.

Misty say up, looking blearily around her. "Mm… Is it breakfast time?"

The tears sprung out anew and I wrapped my arms tightly around her. She didn't seem to understand what was happening and merely laughed merrily, hugging me back.

Her confused joyfulness didn't last long, though. When Cordelia told her what happened, she had let out a loud cry of indignation. She couldn't' seem to understand how anyone could do something like that, especially for something as pitiful as envy.

"Be careful around her," I said. "Be careful around everyone. People are disappearing. I'm pretty sure there's a couple at the manor who aren't averse to end your life if you're alone."

Indeed, I have been extremely paranoid. I always had Kyle with me wherever I went – not as if I didn't before, but I was always on guard. Zoe would sometimes mention that I was overreacting, but I could see it in her eyes that she, too, was cautious. She also seemed to know something more, but time and time again, she refused to say.

"Be careful of Montgomery and Fiona," I whispered to her before we walked through the door.

She looked absolutely depressed that she wasn't safe here. I couldn't blame her. She came seeking asylum after being attacked in her home in the swamps.

"I lost my shawl…" she mournfully sighed.

I pursed my lips. "We'll get it back. I'd pull it from her cold, dead hands if I had to." And I would, at this point. I was so fed up with it all.

"No!" she gasped in horror. "No! No! We shouldn't ever take a life. It's so precious… And it's so sad when it's gone…"

I didn't want to, but I would do what I had to to survive and protect the people I cared about. Madison was the one who started this war.

My mind quickly flitted over to the dead silent house next door before shaking it away. I couldn't let that affect me. It happened. I had to deal with it and move on.

…

 _It's a power surge. This typically happens to young, inexperienced witches who haven't gained full control of their powers, yet. It's not as rare as you'd think," Cordelia explained. "It is usually covered up and whoever ends up on the other end would be deemed missing." She touched my hand, comfortingly. "There's no need to feel guilty. I've seen what happened and what she's done. It is not an end I wish for anyone, but it also wasn't' completely undeserving."_

 _"She was so badass there!" Nan exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "She was like a superhero!"_

I missed her so much. I never thought I'd ever be able to get close to anyone other than Kyle after Mr. Spencer died.

 _"It is also something she should learn to control as soon as possible. Any strong emotion can trigger it. We wouldn't want anyone else to get hurt here." Cordelia sounded like a perfectly, strict mother._

 _I could, however, think of a couple of people I wouldn't mind gone, but she was right, I couldn't just wipe them out of existence. No, but it was difficult imagining my continued residency here as it were._

 _"Will you help me?" I gave her a hopeful look despite knowing that she wouldn't be able to see it._

 _She sighed. "I'd love to, but as I am now, I don't know how I could give you what you need."_

 _"But you'll be the perfect teacher for me!" I protested. "No one else would be able to help me!"_

 _"That's not true, Lily." From her tone, I felt my heart sink. I realised what she was insinuating. She couldn't possibly be serious. It'd be like throwing me to the wolves! I certainly didn't have a death wish._

 _"No!" I shouted, shaking my head. "Why? Please, I only want you to help me. I swear I'll be a good student. I swear I wouldn't cause you any troubles."_

 _I saw how heartbroken she looked, but I didn't care. I just couldn't imagine why she was so adamant that she couldn't help me._

 _"I won't do it! I won't!" It was going to give her the perfect opportunity to kill me. I didn't understand why she would do it, but I was sure that it was going to happen._

…

"Are you ready, Madison Spencer?" she drawled, lazily, sitting languidly on her armchair in front of the fire.

I tightened my grip on Kyle's hand and he squeezed it reassuringly. He trusted her, but I didn't.

"Ready when you are," I mumbled, staring as the flames created shadows that danced around the room, accentuating all the little ridges on her face that she hated.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Sorry! This chapter isn't that good… I'm suffering from a pretty bad writer's block, right now! I just really wanted to put a chapter out, while still moving the canon plot forward… I think it's really coming to a close soon. Probably within the next few chapters!

Thank you ThatOneGirlwiththeM, Mystery Angle, Applejax XD, and guest (anonymouscsfan) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : I think I just blew by a lot of the canon! Meep! Don't know if you'll like that or not… I also have a few ideas of what I'm going to do with the Seven Wonders, but I don't know which idea to go with, yet!

 **Mystery Angle** : Thank you! Which season is your favourite so far for AHS?

 **anonymouscsfan** : Aah! Have you given up on CSI and gone to CS?! (Teehee… I'm just going to always tease you when there's a typo). Joan is horrible! I'm glad she's gone. I'm definitely going to watch Freak Show after this! I feel the multiple pokes for a happy ending! Should I give into peer pressure?

 **Applejax XD** : I love writing about Kyle! I'm thinking of a mainly Kyle-centric chapter either next one or the one after! Do you think it'll be well received?

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please drop a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or even if you don't and have a suggestion!


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

"You, stupid girl!" I was blown back by an invisible force that left a dull ache in my body. "Did you want to get us all killed?!"

I gritted my teeth, flitting my gaze to where the debris had gathered. She was the one who kept pushing and pushing me until I finally lost it. It wasn't my fault that a part of the ceiling had crumbled when I accidentally lost control.

"Of course, it's your fault." She rolled her eyes. "It's been a week and you've made absolutely no progress. I thought you had potential, but you're a little too dim to tap into any of it. What a waste."

I turned angrily away from her. I knew her words were genuine. I still didn't know why Cordelia left me in her tutelage. She was a woman who probably didn't even know the meaning of love or kindness. I couldn't work with someone like her who yelled and didn't know how to teach.

"Get up!" she barked. "I refuse to waste time on a failure! God knows I've had enough of that in my life already!"

I stumbled to my feet. I knew she was a bitter woman, but I guess I never really thought of how she became this way. What had she gone through to end up like this?

As soon as I had my footing, I was on my back again, staring at the ceiling that was still shaking. No, no… I didn't care. She was absolutely wretched.

By the time she was done, I could officially be classified as a living bruise. It was completely unnecessary. I gathered that she took pleasure in a personal ragdoll and she could properly justify it as _helping_ me. What a saint…

I sighed as Kyle looked worriedly at me when I walked by. I didn't think I could even make any contact without excruciating pain at this point. How much longer was I going to be able to withstand this?

Pouring myself a hot, fragrant cup of peppermint tea, I allowed it to soothe me.

When Hank sat down and saw me, he did a double take. "Shit, did Fiona do that?" Everyone here knew about my lessons with her. It was difficult to hide when my powers tend to be uncontrollable.

I nodded at him.

"If she did that to _you_ , I'd hate to think what she would do to _me_." He grimaced at the thought. I didn't blame him. Fiona was a cruel, vicious woman.

"Don't know why you're implying that she likes you more than me," I groaned. "Because she definitely doesn't."

He nodded understandingly at me. "Right, listen…" He began to tell me how he was still in contact with some of the other with hunters. A few of them were having doubts, but they weren't completely convinced that witches weren't a threat to them.

Hank was able to set up a meeting with five over the weekend and he wanted me to advocate for them because he was certain that Fiona would kill him on the spot if anything happened to Cordelia.

I gave him a dry look. "Thanks." I made sure to tell him that Kyle wouldn't be too happy if anything happened to me, either.

"At least I have a fair shot against him." He shot me a grin. "But no, you were the one who convinced me – truly convinced me – and gave me a second chance to make things right. You don't know how torn I was while I was still with them. My heart longed to be with Cordelia and to make things right with her, but blood told me that I had to stay true to what I've been told. I think you can help them, too."

I really wasn't a people person. There weren't a lot of good memories of me interacting with others, but I agreed. I didn't want to live in a world where these men would blindly kill children because of some silly misconception.

"Thank you." He nodded at me.

I grumbled back and waved him off when his eyes caught sight of a certain blonde.

…

Kyle hated seeing Madi like this. She was in a lot of pain and he didn't know how to help her. Any physical contact would cause her to wince. He noticed how she tried her best to suppress them, but it was plain to see.

She now had on thick slabs of Misty's concoction. He was glad that the swamp woman was back. No one else would've been able to help his Madi.

He played with her long brown hair that was splayed on the mattress. She was trying so hard because he was completely inadequate in protecting her.

"What am I going to do?" she sighed, turning to look at him with dark, depressed eyes. "I can't seem to grasp it at all. At this rate, she's going to end up killing me first."

His lips quirked. She looked so cute in her sulky state. "You'll be fine. I won't let anyone hurt you."

She hummed, shifting her head over into his lap. Her loving gaze made his heart race. Even now, he felt like a little boy at the presence of his first crush. Other than the little boy part, he gathered that everything else was still true. He had always felt this way about her. From the moment she stumbled into his room and sat down to play with his action figures, he had been a goner. The only thing that changed was their maturity.

Suddenly, he felt something warm around his most sensitive parts and jumped, staring down at the naughty tongue lapping at the head.

He let out a hiss of pleasure and threw his head back. "Fuck, Madi…" How had she even taken him out without him noticing?! Had he been that deep in thought? He felt her teeth gently scrape along the sides and thought his heart was going to give out. She had never done this before and he could never bring himself to ask her. She had already given him so much. "No! No, wait!" he cried out when he felt himself nearly losing it.

She abruptly stopped and looked at him as if he had just hit her. He suddenly felt like the biggest slime ball in the world. "Was it… really that bad?" she whispered. The way she was rapidly blinking, he could tell that the tears were threatening to spill out. Her hair fell in front of her face and when she turned away from him, he immediately placed his hand on her chin and turned her back to look at him.

"That's not it." How could she have possibly thought that? To be honest, he didn't ever want her to stop, but it was too soon. It couldn't be over before it even started! "I… If you did that any longer, I wouldn't be able to last."

She crinkled her nose, sniffled, and dived down like the minx she was. Whatever she was doing, he was a goner. A loud groan escaped his lips and he spilled. The orgasm went on and on until it became painful and he couldn't help but tug her hair, pulling her hair back.

Madi looked at him with hazy eyes, a trickle of his milky cum was trailing down the side of her lips.

"You're trying to kill me," he grumbled, falling on to his back. His entire body was like goo. It felt as if he was floating on a cloud; it felt as if he was part of that cloud. At this moment, he'd die happy.

Madi wiggled up until she was settled on his chest. The muddy salve was flaking off and beneath was her smooth and pale skin – completely unblemished.

"Does it still hurt?"

She shook her head. 'Misty is a miracle worker." Indeed, every time she got hurt, Misty would mix up some random herbs and in a few minutes, it was all over her. Before the day was over, she'd feel as good as new.

Kyle smiled. When he was rested enough, he pulled her up so that her soft lips were on his. He pushed her into the mattress and peeled her up like a present. There she was… and she was all his.

He guided his hardened member between her folds and slammed in hard until he was fully sheathed inside her. She let out a startled cry of pleasure, buckling her hips.

"Kyle!" She ground her round bottom against him, but he was going to play things his way, this time. She had her fun before. Now, it was his turn.

He found it delightful being in complete control of her. His cock slammed quickly in and out of her, savouring the way she cried out for him. This was where he belonged.

"Madi!" he groaned, grinding their hips together.

When they were like this, he didn't think anything or anyone could pull them apart. This was their world and she was his.

 _No, she is_ _MINE_ _._

He froze when he heard the growl in his head. It couldn't be… Fiona had gave him his body back. There was no way the demon could still be here.

His muscles ached and bulged as he tried to keep it at bay. It wanted his body. It wanted his Madi, but he wasn't going to lose this time.

"Kyle? What's wrong?" He wanted to reassure her that nothing was wrong. He wanted to take that worried look from her face, but when his eyes caught hers, the worry was completely overtaken with fear. What had she seen in him that made her gaze at him in such a way? He never wanted to see it, again. Never.

" _Mine."_

He hissed in pain as his head felt as if it was going to explode. Go away, he wanted to say, but it was no use. His control over his own body was slipping. No, stop! This was his life. He had to be stronger.

`Kyle, fight him.` Her voice sounded strained.

He didn`t know when he closed them, but when he opened his eyes, he was horrified to see the demon in front of him. It had never showed its form before.

Sometimes, he could sense it in the shadows, but what he saw made his blood run cold. What he saw made him question everything that he knew. The demon shot him a malicious grin before disappearing back into the darkness.

"Kyle! Kyle!" His eyes refocused on Madi who was shaking his shoulders. Her warm tears were splattered across his chest. When had he gotten on his back? "Kyle!" Her hand collided with his cheek and the pain snapped him out of the daze.

With a grimace, he gingerly touched his face. "Y-you hit me…" he mumbled.

She dissolved into sobs. "S-sorry… You were just… I – I couldn't… I couldn't lose you to the demon, again." Her gentle hand ran through his hand, down his face where the pain immediately dissipated, and down his neck.

He shivered.

"I'm okay, now," he tried to reassure her, but he wasn't sure how true his words were. He also knew that Madi was just as skeptical as him. "Just stay with me."

And she did, laying her head on his chest while he ran his fingers through her hair. Her presence was the most comforting thing for him. There were no need for words.

…

The next morning, he managed to pull himself out of the restless sleep that reluctantly released him from its claws. He found that Madi had already disappeared and when he peered at the clock, it glowed its eerie red back at him. It was past noon.

As he shuffled his feet down the stairs, he found her sitting alone in the living room. Her eyes were puffy.

She had been crying and he had an idea why. The guilt was something he was never going to be able to let go of. He had caused her all this pain. There had to be something he could do to make things right, again.

Quietly retreating, he sought out Fiona who seemed to be expecting him. Her face scrunched up into a look of distaste as if she had smelled something wretched.

"Its stench is all over you," she sneered. "I can smell the sex and sweat, too. You're really just an animal beneath it all, aren't you/"

"I didn't come here for small talk." As much as he hated how she spoke to Madi and how much she had hurt the most precious thing to him, he knew that Fiona was the only hope he had.

She sighed. "Then what are you here for?"

"You said you got rid of the demon, but it's still there!" he growled. "He nearly came out to hurt Madi, last night."

An elegantly shaped eyebrow raised. "Are you sure he didn't just want to join in on your fun?"

"Fiona…"

"Yes, I got rid of it and clearly, it came back. I never said it was going to be gone permanently." She spoke to him as if he was a child.

He clenched his fist. "Then how? How can I permanently get rid of it?"

A slow smile spread across her face. "Well, the only way to get rid of it is to get rid of any hosts it can possess."

He froze. Did that mean that he had to die? He didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave Madi. There _had_ to be a better way."

"Obviously, it can possess anyone, which means that you'll have to kill everyone on this planet. Really puts it all into perspective, doesn't' it? You're not that special."

Looking back at Fiona, he could tell that she wasn't going to give him anything else. There had to be something else for him out there.

His mind went back to the ghostly features of the demon. He never wanted to see those piercing red eyes ever again.

"Hey, Kyle!" Zoe smiled at him and sat down on the couch. "What's wrong? You're looking down."

He sighed. "It's nothing. I just have things to think over."

"You don't have to do everything alone, you know? There are people here who will help you. I know I will." She looked down at her hands briefly. "You know I care, right?" She touched his knee, making it jerk involuntarily.

He knew that Zoe had a bit of a crush on him, but after not hearing from her for a little, he thought she had given up. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. She was still infatuated. "Zoe, I – "

"I know we haven't had a lot of time to get to know each other before and after… after you died, but I really want to get to know you."

He did recall her trying to help him. He didn't want to be too harsh and hut her feelings. What was he going to do? "Let's… We're friends, aren't we? What questions did you have?"

Her pale face flushed red and she began to mob him with quiet questions. They weren't anything that he had any troubles with answering, so he let her questions relax him into quick successions of automatic answers.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw her descend from the stairs. Her long hair was slightly messy as if she had just slipped out of bed – as if she had done more than just sleep there. Her button up shirt was wrinkled with a few buttons unbuttoned. There was a red mark on her collarbone and he couldn't help but think back to when he had put it there. He had a similar one at the crook of his neck and he absentminded touched it.

"Kyle?" Zoe looked at him with concern when he returned his attention back to her.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "What were you saying?"

She happily continued on and he felt bad that he wasn't able to return her feelings. Zoe made an easy friend, but that was all she'd ever be to him.

"Hey, bitches!"

They jumped and turned to see Queenie sheepishly stroll in.

"Queenie, you're back," Cordelia greeted her. There was no animosity in her voice, but she was cautious. The other woman had been with the voodoo queen. She was also the one who blinded her. Cordelia was reluctant to integrate her back into their home where she could hurt her pupils. "What are you doing here?"

Queenie sulked. "She's dead and it's not safe there anymore with the hunters everywhere."

"Who knew those idiots would actually do something right for a change?" Fiona had joined in just in time to hear about her arch nemesis' downfall. She turned her gaze to Hank. "I think this is when we make good of our arrangement."

He gulped. "Alright."

"Mother, what are you talking about?" Cordelia turned to her mother with a deep frown on her face. "Hank? What's going on?!"

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

So I made this mostly Kyle-centric. I thought that I was really skipping a lot of his perspective lately, even though it was always just something extra, I thought it'd be interesting what it's like on his end.

I also thought it was about time Queenie came back into the picture.

Thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM, Applejax XD** , and guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : It's coming! Seven wonders is coming! Soon… Maybe in a couple of chapters. I'm so excited to write it!

 **anonymouscsifan** : Oooh! Will I ever get a glimpse of your Hotel story? I'm afraid if I read anything before I write it that I might unconsciously copy some ideas though… Maybe I'll ask again after I get to that season. I'm sure it'll be a really good read. And surprise! The demon popped up! I'll see what I can do with that happy ending of yours…

 **Applejax XD** : Teehee! I hope you liked this chapter!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.

I'd love it if you'd drop a review if you liked this story! It really keeps me going and keeps the pesky writer's blocks away!

Also, tell me if you want to see more of Kyle's point of view before the end of the story!


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Fiona was a dictator. It was someone everyone always knew, but she was an _active_ dictator, now. Her strategist was Hank who knew the ins and outs of one of the witch hunter headquarters. The rest of us? We were the soldiers – mere pawns. We were going to storm in and _kill_ the hunters.

It was a ridiculous plan. There were some who I had no problem if they simply disappeared, but I knew that others were merely ignorant and weren't beyond redemption. They had families who cared about them – families who were dearly loved in return despite leading the double life.

Queenie and Madison, however, were rearing to go. Both looked at each other as if this would decide which one of them would become the next supreme. Fiona was more than willing to fuel this belief.

Now, I sat in the car while Queenie, Madison, and Zoe were going in. Zoe was almost as reluctant as me, but the diva had managed to drag her into it.

"It'll be okay," Kyle whispered, squeezing my knee while I looked anxiously at the building. It was just the two of us parked at the corner. Hank had gone in shortly after the girls. He was as worried as we were. "They're powerful. They can handle it."

I bit my lips. "I just have a very bad feeling about it." _Very_ bad. Misty had sensed the presence of death in the manor. She couldn't pinpoint the source, but it was enough for me to be on edge.

"Just relax," he murmured, gently massaging my shoulders and leaving kisses down the side of my neck.

I sighed.

Cordelia didn't even know that we were gone. She was going to be so angry if she ever found out. How had I let Fiona convince me to go along with such a preposterous plan?

 _Ring. Ring._

I looked at my phone. "Hello? Hank?" I heard muffled shouting from the other side and immediately sat up straight, startling Kyle. "Hank?!"

"I'm here. I'm okay." He was panting. From his whisper, it sounded as if he was hiding. "They were expecting us. Someone leaked."

My eyes went wide. It wouldn't be. We were such a small group. How could there be a traitor? My mind went over the entire team. Kyle and I were safe. There was no point of Fiona killing us, is there? Would our deaths benefit her somehow? Would it prolong her life?

 _"Come on, we need you."_

Zoe was never particularly interested in this endeavor. She wanted no part in it. What she really wanted to do was spend the day with Kyle. Needless to say, I was not too fond of that, either.

The last was Queenie. She came back, boldly announcing that the Voodoo Queen was dead. Sure, she looked upset, but that was really her usual, resting position. Where was the proof that Marie Laveau was actually gone? Had anyone even checked?

What about Madison? There was definitely a possibility that she had done it to eliminate her competition. In fact, it seemed exactly like something she would do. Whether it would backfire on her, however, was a completely different story.

My mind quickly backtracked to Laveau. I had to make sure.

I dialled Fiona. It was obvious she wasn't' too excited to hear from me, but the chance of the Voodoo Queen being alive was enough to catch her attention.

She had hung up not a minute later, leaving me to fume. What was I to do until then? Was she even going to tell me what she finds out?

"Hank?" I called him back.

"You hung up on me!" he hissed.

I apologised and told him what I was thinking. He supported the assumption, but a distant scream caught both of our attention.

"Shit! I think that's one of the girls." He hung up on me, this time. It was just one of those days…

I clenched my phone tightly in my hand. I couldn't sit idly while the others could be dying.

"Don't!" Kyle quickly grabbed my hand as I was about to get out of the car. 'Don't. I'll go. I'll check on them."

I shook my head. "NO, Kyle. I can protect myself. Don't worry. I'll be back soon. Here, keep my phone in case Fiona calls. I don't want it ringing if I need to hide." I plucked his out of his jeans pocket. "Call me only if there's an emergency."

"Please, Madi," he whispered.

I leaned over to kiss him. "Wait for me, Kyle. I love you."

"I love you, too," I heard before the car door closed. I let out a long breath. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I would be lying if I said I was confident that I would be safe, but the time to sit around has ended. Fighting the urge to crawl back into his lap, I hurried away.

When I stood before the looming structure of Delphi Trust, I could practically feel the ominous aura radiating from it. No sounds leaked out, but I had heard the battle from Hank's end of the call. I knew the chaos that was happening beyond the private confines.

I crept in, looking around. Everything was intact; nothing was out of place, except for how empty it was. I walked around and peeked over the receptionist's desk. I saw the motionless form of a woman. Her hair was still neatly in a bun and her makeup was immaculate, but the pool of blood around her made me stare at her neck. Her chin had blocked most of the gash, but it was obvious that her throat was cleanly slashed open. It looked like something Queenie would do. Her voodoo powers were truly terrifying.

I backed away slowly and made my way towards the stairs. It was eerily quiet. I didn't like it. The only sounds was coming from my own heavy breathing and the creaking of the hand rails. I was fully expecting someone to ambush me from the back, but none came. It wasn't until the third floor that shouting could be heard. My heart pounding in my ears was louder than their words. If I got too close, would they be able to hear it?

"The fuckin' bitch went that way!" one of them cursed.

"How did they even know about this place?" another growled.

Their voices grew further and further away.

They didn't seem to know much about what was happening. If someone leaked, the higher ups never informed anyone about it. These men were just pawns like us – the foot soldiers to a bigger game.

I waited until I couldn't hear them anymore and then some before chancing a peek after opening the door to a crack. No one was there. "Zoe…?" I whispered in case she was hiding.

Nothing.

I went up a few more floors until my legs burned and I was completely out of breath.

"Get the fuck away from me!" I heard a cry.

Madison!

I ran in without thinking. There was a man standing with his gun pointed around a corner. I thrust my hand out and he flew through the air, his head crashing against the wall when he stopped.

There was no one there anymore when I looked around. Where did she go? I was really hoping that she'd at least know where everyone else was. I hated how I couldn't seem to find _anyone_.

"I found one!"

My eyes widened and I dived to the side just in time to dodge the bullet – literally. The glass divider shattered and I swallowed hard. A second longer and I probably would've been a goner.

"Ernie, come here!"

 _One, two, three, four, five, …_

When I was calmed down enough to function properly, I looked at the man who was waiting for his buddy. I threw a chair towards him. He side stepped, cursing my existence.

" _ERNIE!_ "

I swung my hand and he joined his other coworker.

 _Bang!_  
I gasped as pain ripped into my side.

It seemed that Ernie had finally arrived. His smoking gun was still pointed at me and when he caught a glimpse of the other two, his eyes darkened with rage. 'What did you do?!"

I pushed on the wound with my hand. 'Please, I'm not here to hurt you. Your friends are fine. I just – " I ducked my head and the bullet was embedded into the wall. "I just want to be heard. We're not a violent group, we just want what's best for both of us. We can find a common ground. There can be peace – "

"Shut up!" he roared. "Peace?! Do you know how many of my friends are dead because of you?! You fuckin' monsters came in and began to slaughter us! Did you see Melissa? She was the fuckin' _receptionist_. She didn't even know about the operations.

My mind went back to the poor woman who was still laying – almost forgotten – downstairs. I was actually quite surprised that no one from the public had walked in and found her, yet. "That's not us. That's not what we represent! Give me a chance to show you what – "

"Lily, step back."

Ernie's eyes flitted over to eh figure who appeared in front of me. 'So you were the one who betrayed us… I _told_ him that his son was useless."

Hank's hands trembled for only a moment. "No, I've realised that I'm done being a mindless puppet!"

Ernie sneered. His fingers pressed against the trigger.

 _Bang!_

I jumped. My ears were ringing and I saw Hank's face in front of mine. He was shaking my shoulder and his mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear a word he was saying.

This hadn't happened last time. Last time, my window just shattered. This time, it felt as if my eardrums had taken all that damage.

"Lily!"

I gasped. "Hank…" My gaze slid over to the man with half his head taken off. I quickly looked away. "W-we still have to find the others."

He nodded. "You shouldn't have come here. I tried calling you again and Kyle told me what happened. What were you thinking?!"

"I don't' know!" I hissed back. "Maybe I was thinking about you guys and how you ran into the slaughterhouse while I waited, wondering if anyone was even going to come back?"

He cursed before running his hand through his hair. "Come on,. I saw Zoe run this way." He led me down the hall. I could see bodies everywhere, but I couldn't tell if any of them were dead or just unconscious, except for the ones with Queenie's trademark. She left quite an impression.

"Zoe?" he called out.

I suddenly threw my hand out, catching the stranger unaware and hitting their nose with the door. I waited for him to get back up, but glass office showed that he remained motionless.

"Remind me not to surprise you," Hank muttered.

We walked around until we found a supply closet that was tightly shut. When we tried to push it open, it resisted.

"Zoe?" I whispered, readying myself in case it was anyone else.

There was shuffling and a muffled sob, but when the door slowly creaked open, I saw a afmiliar pale face and blonde hair. Her eyes were red from crying and the flashy wide-brimmed hat that Madison had crammed on her head was gone. "Lily?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you alright?" When she was fully in plain view, I saw a dark, wet patch on her shoulder. I was instantly reminded of my own wound. The bleeding had stopped for me – it must've just been a graze. "Hold still." I gently tugged her collar down and quickly assessed the situation. It definitely wasn't a bullet wound. Had someone taken her by surprise with a close range weapon? Deciding not to prolong her agony, I let the volatile energy inside me heal her.

She let out a short shriek as the pain of her flesh knitting back together started her.

"Be quiet!" Hank scolded, looking around to see if anyone had noticed and came running with guns ablaze.

"That really hurt!" she groaned. "You should've warned me."

"Sorry," I mumbled. My mind was elsewhere as I wondered what to do, now.

A part of me really wanted to leave and let the other two fend for themselves, but I knew that was wrong.

"What happened?" Hank asked, nodding to where she was rubbing her shoulder as if she was still expecting a wound there. Perhaps it left a lingering pain – I wouldn't know.

All colour was gone from her face as she seemed to remember something. "Madison! She's in trouble! We met up with Queenie who went her own way and neither of us wanted to deal with her. When we saw her, I was going to tell her that we had to elave, btu then she knocked out Madison and did this to me!"

Then it was Queenie, after all.

"There you are."

I twirled around to see her with a knife in her hand. The blade was clean, but I knew the bloodshed it had left behind. She stood in full confidence in front of us, a smirk on her face. "I was looking for you."

"Where's Madison?" Zoe demanded, feeling a little braver than before. "What did you do to her?"

The smirk widened. "Why do you even care? No one likes her anyway. Besides, I think you should be worried for yourself, instead."

As if on queue, men stepped out all around us. Their guns were trained at our heads. The last to appear was Marie Laveau. She stepped out like a dark Goddess, waiting to send us to Hell.

"Had Fiona really only sent her children to defeat us? Couldn't get her own hands dirty, could she?" she sneered.

I looked around, wondering if there was a way to get ourselves out of this mess. Cordelia had warned me about my power surges, but… I just had to be careful, right? That was, _if_ it'd listen to me, of course.

"Queenie, we're your friends!" Zoe exclaimed, trying to reel our once housemate back in. "Why would you do this?"

She snorted. "Friends? When had any of us ever been _friends_? None of us even like each other!"

"That's… not true…" Zoe mumbled, her gaze briefly swept the floor.

I narrowed my eyes at her. There was no doubt in her mind that she was thinking of Kyle.

"Stop wasting your breath." Laveau stepped forward. She raised her hands and all the men cocked their guns. "It doesn't matter anymore, does it? All of you will die."

"What about you?" I blurted out, my mind going millions of miles an hour. I was trying to rile myself up. Strong emotions brought out my powers. "What do you think these hunters will do to _you_ after? Do you think you're like them? Do you think they'll spare you just because you placed yourself on top of the food chain? Do you think that's what they're really thinking? You're not actually their leader. You're nothing but another pawn." Where was Hank's father? Had he fled the moment things went awry?

I shook the thought away and tried to think of everything Fiona had said to me. She was always the one to bring the worst out of me, except maybe Madison. Her slimy hands on Kyle… When they were on our bed…

I clenched my fists. That was not a memory I had ever wanted to bring up every again, but this was dire.

"I am better. They won't be able to touch me even if they wanted to!" Her words were solid, but her eyes gave her away. She had her own doubts. Even she wouldn't be able to defeat them if they all conjugated together.

"Lily, the emergency exit," I heard Hank murmur beside me. That broke me away from my concentration.

My heart was pounding. We waited and waited. The small talk wasn't registering anymore. My eyes were completely fixated on the guns. A twitch of their fingers and I was gone.

"Kil – "

" _NOW!_ "

I moved by pure instinct. Hank had pushed one of the hunters aside and as I leapt to the left, If elt several bullets barely miss me. We didn't so much as run down the stairs as jump – anything tok eep ahead of the guns with winding stairwells.

"W-wait! M-Ma-Madison!" Zoe panted out. "W-we can't just… leave her… h-here…"

No, we couldn't, but we also couldn't stop, now, especially not if we didn't know where she was.

Once we reached the ground floor, I heard something fall and I let out a loud shrik when warm blood was splattered on me. My eyes couldn't register what I was even seeing.

Before me seemed to be a mess of red. If it wasn't for the familiar, dark clothing, I wouldn't have been able to recognise who it was. I looked up and saw the hat flutter slowly after her and landed gently atop of her chest where it appeared to have been gouged out. The back of her ribcage could be seen, but none of her internal organs.

For a second, I thought the eyeball that had managed to stay in its socket had swivelled over to me, but it had to have been a trick of the light because there was no way she would still be alive, even for a second.

"Oh, my God!" Zoe shrieked.

I felt hands pulled me away – away from what had been a human being, a romantic rival, someone I had known. Now, she was nothing but a memory forcefully engraved into my mind.

"Go! Go!"

When I was pushed into the backseat, Kyle looked ready to jump out of his skin. He couldn't stop staring at the blood covering me. Hank managed to hastily reassure him that it wasn't my blood before pushing him over to the passenger side and sped us away.

"Madi, what happened?!" I was glad that he didn't ask what happened to the others or why we left without them.

I looked at him for only a moment before everything went black.

* * *

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Okay, so I thought that saving Hank and having Madi in the story would cause a butterfly effect. Where exactly it's going to lead, I'm not quite sure yet. I'm not even sure if it's going to lead anywhere in terms of the story because I really want to wrap this up. I'm not sure how many of you actually like all the original content and from the review counts this story isn't doing as well as the other two (And I know I'm being a little greedy, but I just love reading reviews and even if I don't get reviews, I'll still continue to write. I'm just not sure if it'll be worth the extra time of typing everything up).

Anyway, I'll surely give Freak Show a try, but I also want a little feedback on how you'd like that story to go – something pretty broad, but crucial. Here are a few questions I've been pondering lately.

1\. Firstly, and most importantly, are you guys interested in reading a fanfic based on Madi and the story of Freak Show?

2\. Would all of you like more canon content? If so, is there a certain percentage of the story you'd like to be canon/original. Personally, original content comes much easily. I'm not a huge fan of looking through all the episodes over and over again or reading transcripts (I know I've done that before several times, but lately, it's not been satisfying to write), but I am willing to compromise.

3\. How many of you would hate me if I start asking for a certain amount of reviews per chapter before uploading the next one? This is not going to be implemented for this story or possibly even any of my stories, but I am quite curious. I have seen several authors do this and some seemed to work very well, while others backfired horribly.

Thank you for taking the time to read that and thank you guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing! I guess Queenie had her moments where I really liked her and then there are moments where I'm just kind of disturbed. I'm not sure if this was what you were expecting, but Madi wasn't sent to the salon, she was sent to the HQ of witch hunters. Yay!‼ I'm sure that was a lot better!

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Needless to say, the attack on the witch hunters had failed horribly. We lost Madison Montgomery. There hadn't even been enough of her to put back together for a second resurrection. No one was particularly sad about her death because they missed her, but because of the principle of it all. That, in itself, was quite sad. She hadn't gone alone, though.

When I woke up, I was informed that Fiona had also been murdered. It had been an odd tale. She had had a secret affair with the spirit that we released to find Madison when she died the first time. The Axeman had somehow gained a physical body and in a fit of rage, he killed her. Even Cordelia found it difficult to say anything good about her. Out of respect, however, her portrait was now hanging in the hall – one of them, at least.

Her death was a good thing for Hank who feared what the older woman would have done to him when we returned in bits and pieces. It didn't save him from Cordelia's scolding, though. She scolded each and every one of us thoroughly.

At the end of the day, the manor was a lot quieter with so many missing. And with Fiona gone, we had to choose a new Supreme. Despite all the speculations of who was the future Supreme before, there was actually a series of trials the witch had to pass. Cordelia was keen for Zoe, Misty, and me to try it. I was a little hesitant.

I didn't want to have anything that tied me down here, but Kyle nudged me. "Aren't you curious, though?"

And I was. Very much so.

"Are you girls ready?" Cordelia sat with Myrtle as they watched us on the other side of the table with candles in front of us. The first task was easy. I easily waved my hand and the candle lit, dancing in tandem with the other two. Then, I smoothly pulled the candle to my hand and blew the flame out. Zoe was just as well versed in the practise, but Misty's hand shook as she tried her hardest to will the candle over. Eventually, it jerked into her hand and I smiled at how ecstatic she was. I was glad that it was just the three of us. I couldn't imagine all the hurtful words that would be thrown her way from Madison and Queenie. She didn't need that.

The next task involved coercing another to do whatever we wanted. Zoe paired up with Kyle because she thought it'd be unfair for me to perform on my brother. She thought he was going to help me cheat. I thought she just wanted to make him kiss her. It was cute how frantic he looked and how his eyes were fixated on me as if he was silently telling me that he didn't want any of it. I wasn't exactly thrilled about how she was manipulating him, but after the kiss, it was my turn. I didn't have time to curse out Zoe as Misty made me wiggle around in a silly dance. When I twirled around, facing her, I managed to make her balance a tray of tea and sugar on her head while bouncing on one foot.

"This is really exciting," she whispered to me, holding my hand as we laid on the carpet. Zoe was on my other side.

I was nervous. This was supposed to test our mental strength and I was always… lacking in it. I couldn't imagine what it was going to put me through.

I looked at Kyle who was staring just as apprehensively back at me.

'I love you,' I mouthed to me. He smiled – the last thing I saw before my eyes slid closed and I was flung into a world of hurt.

 _I was in a dark place surrounded by people – dark shadows moving in sensual motions. The colourful beams of light around me didn't help much in terms of visibility. I knew this place. This place was familiar to me, but I hadn't come alone. Where did he go?_

 _Looking around the best I could, I found him sitting in a booth by himself. He was staring at me with dark eyes. I smiled and took a seat beside him. "Hello, stranger."_

 _"Want a drink?" he offered me his glass._

 _I shook my head. 'Underage, remember?"_

 _He pulled me into a passionate kiss, causing my brain to melt and all I could do was smile dopily back at him. "I love you, Madi."_

 _"'Love you, too."_

 _Someone walked by, whispered into his ears and he immediately stood up. He spoke to me, but I couldn't understand a word he said. When he took a step back, we were on the streets. His friends were wolf whistling and howling at us as they watched by the bus._

 _"I'll be back later," he promised._

 _Idly, I watched him walk away, fading into the crowd of males who pat his back and pulled him into the large, yellow vehicle. Something was telling me that this shouldn't be happening – that I should stop him, but my feet felt as if they were encased in cement._

 _I tried my hardest to break free of my invisible confines and shouted desperately for him to come back, but all he did was give me a short wave and grin. And then, he disappeared._

 _The bus drove off and without warning, it flipped over, bursting to flames._

 _"KYLE‼" I screamed, feeling like something had torn me apart. "KYLE‼" My voice seemed to echo into the night sky. I screamed until my voice was hoarse and my throat felt like sandpaper. I screamed until I could hear my voice no longer, and then…_

 _I was back in the darkness with lights flashing all around me. My eyes immediately caught his and I rushed over._

 _"Madi?"_

 _I stared into his warm, chocolate orbs. He was smiling at me as if everything was fine – as if he hadn't just died._

 _What was happening?_

 _"Want a drink?"_

 _I unconsciously shook my head._

 _"I love you, Madi." I watched his lips form the words._

 _Someone leaned down and whispered something to him._

 _"I'll be right back. Just need to get him back into the dorms." He kissed me and walked into the bus, flashing me his beautiful smile._

 _"No… No, Kyle! Don't!" I shouted. "Come back!"_

 _I couldn't move. I couldn't reach him. "Stop‼"_

 _He was whisked away and just like before, I lost him in the fire. The explosive heat swept over me and all I could do was hope that it would take me as well._

 _I closed my eyes and opened them, again._

 _"Want a drink?"_

 _"No!" I screamed. "No, I don't! Please, just stay with me. He can take care of himself," I begged before the guy even came over to speak to him, but nothing I did ever accomplished anything._

 _"I love you, Madi."_

 _He died over and over again in front of me. Not once was I able to help him. Not once was I able to keep the bus from leaving or blowing up._

 _"Stop! Stop!" I screamed. "No more, please!"_

 _This couldn't be real. The world wouldn't be so cruel as to force me to watch him torn away from me in an endless loop. This had to be a horrible nightmare, but then why did it hurt so much? Dreams shouldn't hurt._

 _"Make it stop…"_

 _I fell to my knees before collapsing into a ball, sobbing as the events continued on without me ,haunting me no matter how I tried to protect myself._

…

Kyle watched restlessly as the women all started the trial. They had a limited amount of time to come back before the window would close and they'd be gone forever. He was already feeling the dread at the bottom of his stomach. Only a few minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity. It felt as if he was going to lose his Madi forever.

He should never have convinced her to do this. She was very reluctant, but both of them were fuelled by curiosity. What if she was the Supreme? Everything would change for them, but now, none of that seemed to matter anymore. It was not worth losing Madi over. If he had only known that there was even a possibility that she could die, then he would never have even contemplated it. He'd lock her in their rooms while the other two performed the tasks. He'd lock her up and tie her to the bed.

He swallowed, shaking away the thoughts of her naked beneath her. This really wasn't the time…

Now, he had to wait with a racing heart for her to come back.

 _One… Two… Five… Ten…_

Ten minutes passed and Zoe bolted up, gasping as if she was taking her first breath of air. Her eyes looked widely around before settling on him and she let out a sigh of relief.

"What did you see?" Hank asked, interested to know what had made the girl so frantic.

She flushed and looked down at her hands. "He… He kept breaking up with me," she mumbled. It was barely audible, but everyone had heart it. A sense of incredulity fell over Kyle. How could _that_ have incited such a drastic reaction when they were never together to begin with? Or had he been the naïve one? Did he somehow managed to lead her to think that they could possibly already be together?

Zoe got up and took a seat beside him. She laid her head on his shoulder and he suppressed the urge to violently jerk away. "Zoe…"

"I'm glad you're okay," she whispered, looking at him with deep eyes.

He gulped. "Zoe… I… I don't… I Mean, I'm glad to be okay, too, but I don't like you that way." He slowly and carefully extricated himself away from her, leaving her to stare at him with disbelief on her face as if her worst nightmare had truly become reality. He turned away. If that was what she feared most, then perhaps she needed to get her priorities straight. It wasn't exactly a high school musical they were in.

Needless to say, there was an awkward air that fell into the room after he finally told her the truth.

He kept his head down and began to pray. God had never been a big part of his life no matter how much his mother tried to beat it into him. It was difficult listening to someone who always forced themselves on him, but no, he had no choice but to hope for the best. There was nothing else he could do. Madi was so close, yet so far away. In fifteen minutes, she could be taken from him forever.

"She'll come back," Cordelia murmured to him from the other side. "She's a strong girl." Hank squeezed her shoulder.

"Yeah…" He fixed his gaze back on his beautiful lover – his sister, his everything.

The ticking of every second felt like an eternity, yet each stroke reminded him that he was also one second closer to losing her. How could everything they fought so hard for be destroyed in a mere half hour?

When he glanced at the clock, again, he was startled to find that only seven minutes remained. "Madi…"

No... No… He couldn't lose her…

…

 _No…" I chanted over and over again as faceless bodies brushed by me in the dark club. Even seeing him brought me no comfort anymore because I knew that it only meant losing him all over again. I was trapped in this infinite circle of despair and I didn't know how to get myself out of it._

 _This was the one thing I feared most and continued to haunt me to this very day. Seeing him get on that bus… I never knew how something so simple could change my life so much._

 _"Please, don't go…" I pleaded, but every time, he'd walk away from me. He was further and further into the distant until the fire would claim him._

 _"STOP!" I screamed, hoping that someone, anyone would hear me and put me out of my misery, but no one came. No one came to find me…_

 _"Kyle…" Tears streamed down my face. He had always been the one there for me."Kyle…"_

…

Both Misty and Madi were still laying completely motionless on the floor. Even Cordelia was getting worried, now. Kyle was only able to keep still for a second longer before he was kneeling beside her. His hope was dwindling. In five minutes, he was going to watch her die. He couldn't imagine a life without her. There was no Kyle without Madi.

"You can't' leave me…" he whispered. "I can't live without you. It'll kill me."

"Kyle." Zoe, against her better judgment after being rejected, took her place beside him. "I'm sorry… I'm story…"

"No!" He callously brushed her off. "She's going to come back. Madi will come back to me. She promise. She promised me forever."

Cordelia shook her head in despair, trying desperately to find comfort in Hank who lovingly held her, staring at the tiny brunette whom he had thought of as a younger sister – his saviour. Truth be told, he didn't think that anything would bring her down. She had done things that he never thought possible and survived it all. This wasn't how she was supposed to die!

He swallowed. But at the end of the day, she was still just a teenage girl – not even an adult and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Because she seemed so capable, they never stopped to think that maybe she needed to be coddled and cared for, that she wasn't mentally ready for all the destruction that came with this supernatural world.

What they had experienced and accomplished wasn't normal for a young girl. She should've been out partying with friends and rebelling against her parents, not minutes away from death because of a stupid trial to become the strongest witch alive.

He sighed. But what did he know? He had only recently joined this merry band of powerful witches. Even now, he was helpless to help anyone.

As his eyes wandered over to Kyle, his heart went out to him. He knew what it was like to be on the verge of losing everything. When he was with the witch hunters, he was constantly worried that one day, they'd bring Cordelia's head back.

It didn't matter what his father had taught him. She had always been an exception. That was why he had lured in the fire witch. It was the only way he knew to take the heat off him and the Coven. He needed to show his father progress and Hank was willing to sacrifice anyone else for her. And when he was finally committed to give his life for her, he'd be so sure that that was it for him, but it wasn't. He was lucky to have this second chance and he hoped that Madi would also be granted the same. She still had so much to give to this world.

"I can't lose her, Hank," Cordelia sobbed into his arms. He tightened his embrace. "She's like a daughter to me. I can't have children, but even that doesn't matter anymore. Lily has become that and so much more. She gave me hope that I thought I had long lost. She gave me back _you_ and now…"

Hank didn't know what to do. This was completely out of his hands. "Talk to her. Maybe she can hear you," he told both Cordelia and Kyle.

Kyle's lips trembled as he tried to get the first words out. "M-M-Madi…" Suddenly, he felt as if he was that dead-brained idiot, again. He couldn't form a single coherent sentence. His voice cracked when he tried to keep going, but he ended up dissolving into a fit of sobs. "C-come ba-back." He had so much to tell her, so much that he didn't know how to convey. "I l-love you." He leaned down, kissing her on the lips as he had once seen in those fairytales she loved to read. She was the princess. HE kissed her harder and waited.

Nothing.

She didn't so much as twitch.

It seemed that he was no prince, after all.

He wasn't able to save her, but he knew of a dragon that might be able to. It was just a risk bringing it out of its cave.

Looking at the ticking clock, he knew he was out of options. This was it. He had to face his fears or his worst nightmare was going to become reality.

 _Please._

 _Please, come out._

 _She's going to die. I know that's not what you want._ His heart hammered against his chest. Was this it?

 _Please, she needs you._

He waited in horror when he received no response. There was only silence in his mind. Had it finally given up on them?

He slumped forward, crying into her chest. It was barely moving, but her heart was still beating slowly. Closing his eyes, he tried desperately to imprint every aspect of her into his mind.

"H-Hank…" Cordelia was a blubbering mess, similar to him, but no one could truly comprehend what he was feeling. Losing Madi was like someone literally ripping his heart out of his chest, but even that would have been less agonising. The pain would've been brief. This was something that would stay with him forever. This was going to leave permanent scars in his very soul.

He couldn't be without his Madi.

"Ten, nine, eight…" Zoe had started counting down under her breath. She was anxiously staring at the clock. In a single instant, she could lose two of her friends.

"Seven, six, five…"

The last few seconds were going on forever. Being the Supreme never meant that much to her. She just didn't want Queenie or Madison to receive the title. The powers would only further push them towards their selfish desires. Since neither were present, she had only done it out of a test for herself – to see how far she'd come from literally fucking her boyfriend to death.

"Four, three, two…"

She shut her eyes, trying to block out all the cries drowning her. All their hurt made her hurt, too.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE

As I was typing this, I was feeling all sorts of anxiety and frustration and just WRONG. My heart is kind of racing and I kind of just want to huddle beneath my covers. It all started when my printer decided to be a butt to me.

I was so frustrated with my new $50 printer ink not working that I nearly wasn't able to get this chapter up. Worst of all, the store I purchased it at doesn't accept returned if the cartridge is open, but why else would I return it other than trying it first? I had tried everything on the support page, which was abysmal and I nearly threw the ink and printer out the window if I hadn't thought of the cost to replace the window as well would've been far too hefty for me.

Enough of the ranting… Regarding this chapter, I really had no clue how long they were in the other world, but most dreams feel like an eternity when in reality, it's only been a few minutes. I thought half an hour would be an alright time to assume. Please, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also at that pinnacle where I have to decide how to end the story. The next chapter will definitely be the final chapter for this segment.

I've also watched a few minutes of Freak Show – too much of my time had been taken by the stupid printer – and so far, I'm quite liking it. I'm hoping to binge watch and finish it before I finish this story so that there wouldn't be much of a break, but I'm currently a little – VERY – stressed out. Could take a couple of weeks after this story is over or a month, but it shouldn't be too long. Writing is the only thing I can look forward to when I have work. Sometimes, I look forward to working just so I can have that one hour to write. It's really quite sad…

Moving on!

Thank you guests ( **A big fan, AuroraSeven, anonymouscsifan,Cosmo39** , and **DaisyChain** ) for reviewing! Wow, all guests. Don't worry, I love you all.

 **A big fan** : Here's the next chapter!

 **AuroraSeven** : I'm glad you like the original content! I'm usually really nervous that you guys won't like it.

 **anonymouscsifan** : When I write the fanfic on Freak Show, it will definitely involve Madi. I'm currently debating whether I should bring Queenie back in the final chapter.

 **Cosmo39** : Ah! Two days! I'm so happy you love my AHS fanfiction series!

 **DaisyChain** : Next chapter will be the last! I hope you'll like how it ends.

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story!

Please leave a review and a short (or long! Teehee… anonymouscsifan, I love you) comment if you liked this story!


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

I laid down, watching it all pass by me over and over again. Even closing my eyes didn't help. I could see everything happening as they happened behind me eyelids.

"I love you, Madi."

I clenched my eyes tighter. _I'm sorry I'm not strong enough. I really wanted to save you. Just take me with you…I really wanted this to end, but I don't know how…_

 _ **Because you're WEAK!**_

I gasped. My eyes popping open to see that the torturous scene had been consumed by pitch black darkness. In front of me were two floating red orbs and a fanged smile.

" _ **You've always been weak. That's why I'm here. It's all because of you. It's all your FAULT!"**_

"I don't understand…" I whispered back. "What did I do? What have I ever done to you?"

 _ **"EVERYTHING."**_

 _ **"IT'S. ALL. YOUR. FAULT."**_

 _ **"Did you think I was going to let you go?!"**_

 _ **"DID. YOU?!"**_

I let out a shriek when it felt as if every part of me had been pulled apart in every direction. The pain was unimaginable. "S-st – "

 _"_ _ **YOU. ARE. MINE‼"**_

" _ **MINE**_."

And then…

Nothing

Had I also been consumed by its darkness? Was all that fighting for nothing?

It was so sad how everything would only lead up to this point. There was still so much I wanted to do. There was stills o much I wanted to say.

Why…?

 _"Because it is your fate, my child…"_ a sad voice brushed by. I knew who it was. The familiar voice could only belong to the dark angel with the welcoming smile.

Why?

Why did it have to be my fate? Who dictates how I was going to live my life? Who thought they had the right?! My life wasn't anyone's to play around with… My life was my own.

 _"I'm sorry… But remember, you will always have a choice."_

But how could fate and choice co-exist? It seemed like an impossibility. She was uttering absolute nonsense. I couldn't even tell if she was even real or if she was merely a figment of my deteriorating sanity.

 _"All you have to do is let go."_

Hadn't I already done that? Hadn't I already given up? What more did I have to give?

 _"You must let him go…"_

I shook my head. I would never let him go. It felt as if I had done that too much already. What I wanted to do was the complete opposite – hold him closer, but he kept slipping away. It was as if the harder I tried to keep him with me, the further everything pulled him away. Was _taht_ my fate? Was my only choice to break the cycle to let him go forever? That was really no choice at all.

I would always choose him.

 _Always._

…

"One."

Kyle held her even closer to him, sobbing uncontrollably. That was it. They were out of time. Where had it all gone…?

"I'm sorry, Kyle…" he vaguely heard Zoe say to him. "It'll be okay." He was too numb to even feel her hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head. No, it'll never be okay, again. How had Madi managed to do this? It was the most agonising thing he had ever experienced. Not even the memory of being burned alive could compare and that was the sensation of his skin flaking off little by little in the burning heat and everything else melding together into a pile of nothing.

"Oh, Misty!" He turned just in time to see the blonde woman dissolve into ashes in Cordelia's arms. Was that going to happen to Madi, too? Was she going to fall apart?

Suddenly, the body against him began to squirm around. "Can't… breathe…" He quickly let go and stared in shock when Madi stared blearily back at him. "Were you trying to kill me?" she grumbled, rubbing her face and looking around as if she couldn't believe she was in the manor. To be honest, he was just as startled to find that she was here.

"How…?" he quietly asked. It was difficult trying to shake off the disbelief. 'You died."

"Did I?" She tilted her head. Confusion was still clear in her eyes, but she was most definitely alive. She was so alive and warm and wonderful.

He pulled her back towards his chest and kissed her. He kissed her in front of every member of the Coven, eliciting a chorus of gasps all around.

Zoe couldn't believe what she was seeing. This whole time,. She thought her biggest competition was a beautiful blonde ex-actress/model. She never imagined that her true rival was his sister. It was baffling – _disgusting_. They were siblings! She knew she would never be able to wrap her mind around it, but why couldn't he have just told her this from the beginning? Were they both laughing at her the entire time?

She abruptly got up from her position beside Kyle and shook her head. This day had become such a ridiculous mix of horror, anxiety, disbelief, and utter humiliation. It almost felt as if someone had slapper her in the face. Nothing of this was real, was it?

Hadn't her worst nightmare been Kyle breaking up with her over and over again?

She nearly flushed when she recalled telling everyone this. It seemed like such a silly thing to fear, now, because after sitting on the couch for a good solid minute, she realised that it really didn't hurt much at all.

It wasn't as if she truly had him to begin with. And it wasn't as if she really blamed him. It was partially her fault what had happened him.

"What did you see?" Cordelia asked, hugging Madi when Kyle finally relinquished his hold.

She let out a shuddered breath. "Kyle… I kept seeing that night where I was convinced that he was gone forever. He leapt dying over and over again and there was absolutely nothing I could do."

"We thought we were going to lose you," Cordelia quietly confessed. "A second later…" And she would've been like Misty, but what brought her back? "How did you manage to get out?"

"I don't know…" she mumbled, looking down. "Eventually, I stopped seeing that looping scene. Instead, I saw something else. I thought either was going to finally take me away, btu I couldn't go. I had to stay… I had to stay for.." She stopped to stare at him in the eyes. "You're the reason I'm here, now."

"I'm also the reason you nearly died," he groaned, tugging at his hair.

She gently pulled it back down and kissed the knuckles. "It's always been you. You keep me alive."

"And you always being me back." He leaned down for another kiss, clutching her as closely as possible. He was afraid that at any second, she'd fall to ashes just as Misty had done.

…

I sighed as I snuggled against him on the couch. There was no reason to hide anymore and all I wanted to do was know that I was still there and he was still there and everything was well, but…. It wasn't…

I had just learned that Misty hadn't made it back. There was only Zoe and I left in the competition to become the new Supreme, but I wasn't sure if I wanted it anymore. The power wasn't worth it if I could lose him.

As Cordelia explained the next test, transmutation, I contemplated my options. I could pull out now and things would go back to how it was before or I could continue and see where it would bring us. What if I could become strong enough to keep us alive forever? Was that a possibility or would I Just become like Fiona – a bitter old woman who died and no one even had a single good word for her?

"Lily?"

I looked back up at Cordelia who was waiting patiently for me. "I – I…" Kyle turned to me, but said nothing. "I don't want to do this anymore." Immediately, he seemed to sag against me and let out a breath of air that tickled my ear and made me think that I had made the right choice.

Cordelia swallowed and although she expressed her disappointment that I wasn't going to have a chance to be the Supreme, now, her face also shared a look of relief. She turned to Zoe who sat up a little straighter, staring back with determination.

"Zoe, do you wish to continue?" she asked the young woman.

"Of course."

"Then you will still have to pass the rest of the trials. If you pass them all, then you will become the next Supreme," Cordelia informed her.

"And if I don't pass?" she asked, biting her lips.

"Then we will have to continue waiting untilt he next one comes. I don't know where she could be, but with Fiona gone, the new one has already risen. We just need to find her."

Zoe nodded and obediently went through each task. She easily teleported from oen side of the room to the other. Then, she brought a dead fly back to life before releasing it outside.

When she sat down to pinpoint an item in the room, however, it all fell apart. She had no idea where the trinket could be and blurted out a random location, hoping that her instinct would be correct, but Myrtle came back empty handed after trying to find it.

She had failed.

That was two devastating failures in a row. First, Kyle and now, this. But closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, she knew that she would be alright. She was more than capable of success even without him and without being Supreme. "But now what?"

I looked around the room, the nagging sensation hadn't disappeared since the trials started. There was still one witch who could qualify, but she was too greatly burdened by her own lack of self-worth to ever even fathom the chance of her succeeding. "Cordelia…"

She turned to me with her sightless eyes.

"What about you? Why don't you try it?" I suggested.

"I can't… I know I can't be the Supreme. I – "

"How would you know?" I shot back. The more It ried to convince her, the more it sounded right. Why wouldn't Cordelia be the new Supreme? She was kind, understanding, and despite what her and her mother thought, she was the most powerful woman I knew.

"I…"

"You should do it, Cordelia." Hank squeezed her shoulder. "You would be the fair ruler everyone needs."

"You're treating me as if I'm going to be some kind of queen," she replied.

"What if she dies?" Kyle expressed his fears. "I almost lost you in those trials. I don't want you to be sad if…"

"But Cordelia is stronger than me. I know she is." And I did.

"Okay…" she finally conceded. "I'll do it."

"Just be confident in yourself."

As expected, Cordelia blew by the first few trials in a breeze. She came out of the descensum in a couple of minutes and with each trial, she seemed to become more and more confident. I watched in amasement when she easily located the trinket from Mimi DeLongpre. Finally, she kneeled down beside a dead mouse. It had gotten caught in the vines in the greenhouse and starved. She breathed life into its tiny, motionless body. It twitched its nose before jumping on its feet and scrambled away.

I smiled. That was it. That was the final test and she had passed them all in the most graceful fashion. "Congratulations, Cordelia."

She turned to me and right before all of us, her colourless eyes became more vibrant until a look of surprise was on her face. She gingerly touched around her eyes and her lips spread into a beautiful smile. "Thank you, Lily."

Hank pulled her up and into a deep kiss.

I sighed contently, wrapping my arms around Kyle. "So that's that."

"That's that," he agreed.

…

We packed out luggages and looked around one last time. Even though we really hadn't lived here for long, there were so many memories left behind – good and bad. There had been so many things I hated and so many things that I loved. I was really going to miss everyone.

By the time I dragged my things down, they were all at the foyer. Cordelia had a watery smile on her face. "I don't suppose I can convince you to stay?"

I stifled my won tears. "No… But I promise to call and visit."

She nodded, gathering me into a tight hug. I snuggled close. She was truly what I imagined a mom to be, but I never had one and I didn't need one to move on. "I'll miss you so much. You'll always… always have a place here." Her voice cracked. "And if you ever need help…"

"Stop… I'll still be around. You're going to make me cry!" I sniffed.

Another arm wrapped around my shoulder. "Stay out of trouble. You wouldn't want me to come guns ablazing."

I whacked Hank who smirked back. "More than likely, I"ll be the one coming to save you from whatever mess you've gotten yourself into, again."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't deny it. "Yeah… Yeah… Don't need you anymore when I have my Cordy." He pecked her cheek and she smiled back at him with a loving gaze.

I took a step back and saw Zoe step forward, next. "I hate that I let myself fall for you," she said to Kyle who looked uneasily back at her. "I hate that you let me do all those stupid things when – " Her eyes shifted over to me briefly. "But I don't hate you – you or Lily. I know that you can't help who you love and I know I'll find someone better for me, so don't' think I'll be hung up on you at all. I'm already over it."

"Thanks, Zoe." Kyle's smile brightened the entire room and he hugged her before taking my hand. "Bye, everyone."

"Goodbye!" I waved.

Our new life was going to start soon. I had saved up enough money for a few months of rent while Kyle looked for a job and attend night classes. I had already sent applications for work at the campus. It was going to be great.

Kyle hulled our luggage into the taxi and I looked at the white fluffy clouds drifting quickly in the blue sky. The trees were rustling wildly and for a moment, I wondered if the power cables were going to come down.

"Ready?"

I turned to all the others who were still standing by the door. They were all smiling and waving. I was definitely going to see them, again. Nothing was going to keep me away.

Suddenly, my eyes caught sight of something moving upstairs. I looked to see a faint image of Fiona. Even she looked to be at peace. Death seemed to suit her. It was ironic that she was so afraid of it. Her tense countenance had smoothed out to an almost wrinkleless, serene face.

I waved at her and she seemed to scoff at me before disappearing. I laughed. I looked around, wondering if I would also somehow catch sight of Nan and Luke, but no such luck. Perhaps the two were together, watching over us. That would be nice.

"Come on Madi. We're going to miss our flight."

I twirled around to grin at him. "I'm c – "

 _Bang!_

 _AUTHOR'S NOTE_

Firstly, happy birthday, anonymouscsifan‼! I made sure to get this uploaded on time just for you!

Secondly, yes. I am ending it here. This is where the canon plot of my own version of the story will end, **but if you stick around to the very end of this, I will show you what I had been pondering for a very long time.** You don't know how difficult it was thinking up an ending for this story.

Other than that, I decided not to make Madi the Supreme. I felt like it's not something she really wanted to be in the first place and Cordelia was just too perfect for the position. I also didn't kill Zoe. Since she became the last contestant during the first round of the Seven Wonders, logically, she wouldn't have been impaled while playing tag.

In terms of the four installment, I'm currently wondering what kind of character I want Madi to be in Freak Show. If she's going to be part of the group, what kind of quirk should she have?

Do you want them to quickly fall in love or have a little more drama first?

I NEED A NAME FOR MY FOUR INSTALLMENT‼! It'll have to be a word starting with the letter "V" and six letters long because I am completely OCD and need things to be uniformed.

In the meantime, I am also working on a "spinoff" story involving the same characters in the same world. The only thing different is that it will be entirely original except for small excerpts when I need it. It's also not going to have regular updates because it's not priority, yet.

I'm also finishing up the rest of Freak Show and I absolutely LOVE it. It's right up there with Murder House for me. For me, Coven kind of lost the horror aspect, but Freak Show brought it right back. Once I finish, I'll have the first chapter of my story up. It shouldn't take more than a week or two and I will be posting the Sequel Alert here so you guys won't miss it!

Now, thank you **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** , **Applejax XD** , guest ( **anonymouscsifan** ) for reviewing!

 **anonymouscsifan** : I looooove reading your long reviews! I hope to see you there when the next story is posted. Teehee… Happy birthday, again‼

 **ThatOneGirlwiththeM** : I completely agree regarding making Madi the Supreme and how it'll be Mary Sue! I never intended her to be the Supreme. Yes! Yes! Yes! I love Jimmy. Jimmy is my second favourite, apart from Tate because Tate will always be number one for me.

 **Applejax XD** : Cliff hanger, again! I swear I'm not trying to be evil! (Kinda… not really… No real effort was actually involved…)

Thank you as well to everyone who has favourited and followed this story. I'm hoping to see all of you on the other side in a week or two.

Despite not having finished the season, yet, I _am_ already working on the first chapter.

Alright, here are the two endings I nearly added to finish this story:

 **Less likely ending:**

He slammed the trunk closed.

I stuck my tongue out, waving my final goodbyes and slid into the car with him. We were going to start a new life and I was nervously excited for it. The university was far away, but together, I knew that we were going to manage.

Kyle leaned down with a naughty grin on his face. "You know, once we get there, we'll be all alone in the apartment," he purred.

I flushed, hitting his chest when the taxi driver shot us a curious look.

His hand crept up my thighs and teased the edge of my panties.

"Not, yet," I mumbled, hoping that the stranger wasn't staring at the rear-view mirror like I knew he was.

"Mmhmm…"

This was going to be a long ride…

 **More likely ending:**

Kyle stared in horror when he saw her chest blow apart. He could literally see right through her.

"No!" he heard Cordelia scream in horror.

"Lily!"

"Fuck… Fuck!"

He couldn't even find his voice to exclaim anything. His eyes were transfixed on Madi before turning his head abruptly to face the witch hunter with a snarl. His eyes blazed red as he threw his hand out and watched with dark satisfaction when the man was torn to shreds. His dirty blood splattered all over the pavement, but it didn't matter.

"We can bring her back… We can bring her back…" Cordelia muttered to herself. She chanted quietly at first, but she soon grew more and more frantic when nothing happened. She tried to pull Madi into her arms when Kyle leaned down and lifted her into his arms. "No! Don't take her away from me!" Cordelia shouted to the man who was walking away.

Kyle really didn't have any thoughts in his head. He had Madi in his arms and he already knew what he had to do. There was only one place he could go.

He stepped on to the road.

He would follow Madi wherever she went.

The car swerved around the corner. The driver could only stare in horror as he completely lost control of his vehicle. The steering wheel moved all on its own and speeding straight towards the young man with a brown-haired girl in his arms. He shouted desperately for him to move out of the way, but in a split second, his wind shield shattered and his car didn't stop until the loud thumps of two bodies rolled across the roof.

He quickly got out of his car to observe what had just happened.

Laying motionlessly just beyond his sedan was a man and woman. Her head was on his chest. His arms were still wrapped around her. Blood was everywhere and their faces weren't even recognisable anymore. If it hadn't been such a grisly scene, it could've been cute.

…

Yes, _that_ was how I was going to end the story. Instead… I had too many doubts to finalise it, but I also wanted you guys to have a peek of what could've happened. Not sure if that's really better or worse.

Aside from that, I'd like to just say again that all my stories are interconnected and I'm curious to hear your theories on what you think is going on. I won't be confirming or denying anything!


	21. SEQUEL IS UP!

**SEQUEL IS UP!**

Review replies are added to the end of **Vapour**.

I hope to see all of you there!


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